The Right to The Protection of Personal Data – A Fundamental Right in The Legal Order of the European Union
Keywords:
right to the protection of personal data, Court of Justice of the European Union, legal order, information, protection of fundamental rightsAbstract
The scope of this paper is to present the legal framework comprising the main legal provisions and case law on the right to the protection of personal data in European Union (EU) law. First, we analyzed the European legal framework adopted in this field and the history of the right to the protection of personal data in the EU. We have illustrated, by providing examples from the EU treaties and case law, that there have been concerns about the protection of personal information since the 1970s, because of the increasing use of computers and information technologies. We have then discussed the content of this right and how the EU has continued to strengthen the regulations on its protection, thus it is currently considered a fundamental right in the EU legal order. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), adopted in 2016, represents a major milestone, establishing stricter guidelines for data protection across the EU. The regulation sets out clear requirements for data controllers, including informing data subjects about data processing activities and obtaining informed consent. Additionally, the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union explicitly enshrines this right in Article 8, highlighting its importance alongside privacy. The paper also discusses how EU supervisory authorities, such as the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), monitor compliance and promote cooperation between national authorities to ensure consistent enforcement of data protection rules.
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