Guidelines

The European institutions, bodies and agencies have had to react to the COVID-19 crisis not only in their policy roles, but also in their roles as employers. Changes in operations, such as moving the vast majority of staff to remote working have raised numerous questions on which EUIs consulted the EDPS. 

This document compiles the advice given on questions such as teleworking tools, staff management, health data aspects and replying to data subject access requests. 

This document builds on the experience of the past months and addresses the issues that were raised to us or encountered by us and is still relevant because telework will most likely be a big part of the ‘new normal’ for EUIs work. 

EDPS Guidance on Article 25 of the Regulation 2018/1725 and internal rules updated on 24 June 2020.

Revised guidelines on personal data and electronic communications in the EU institutions (eCommunications guidelines).

2015 guidelines on eCommunications are available here.

These EDPS Guidelines explore in greater depth, and provide relevant examples of, issues relating to the impact on the fundamental rights to privacy and the protection of personal data, focusing on and complementing in particular Tool#28 of the Commission Better Regulation Toolbox and the Operational Guidance on taking account of Fundamental Rights in Commission Impact Assessments. The Guidelines also complement the EDPS Necessity Toolkit.

The following guidelines are an update of the guidance on whistleblowing published in July 2016.