Privacy in the EU Institutions

Answer to a notification for prior checking in relation to initial grading and determination of rights (Case 2007-558)

Opinion of 4 October 2007 on the notification for prior checking regarding the case "Verification of the declarations concerning special allowances at the Joint Research Centre" (Case 2007-328)
Le Centre Commun de Recherche (CCR) utilise le système d'indemnités spéciales prévu par le statut des fonctionnaires des Communautés européennes aux articles 56, 56 bis, 56 ter, 56 quater. Afin de contrôler les attributions de ces indemnités, le CCR a mis en place un système de vérification des déclarations des personnes concernées par les indemnités spéciales. Si le CEPD est globalement satisfait du traitement proposé, il a émis deux recommandations à propos de l'information des personnes concernées. Il a demandé que la finalité concernant la vérification des déclarations des indemnités spéciales et la base juridique du traitement soient clairement indiquées dans la déclaration de confidentialité.

Opinion of 4 October 2007 on the notification for prior checking regarding the "harassment procedure" (Dossier 2007-440)
La Cour de justice a instauré une politique en matière de respect de la dignité de la personne au travail afin de prévenir le harcèlement sexuel et moral sur le lieu de travail et de mettre en place une structure et des procédures permettant de traiter les cas présumés. La politique prévoit deux types de procédures : une procédure formelle et une procédure informelle. L'analyse du CEPD porte exclusivement sur la procédure informelle; l'analyse de la procédure formelle entrera dans le cadre plus général de l'enquête administrative. Le CEPD s'est déclaré satisfait du traitement proposé qui ne paraît pas entraîner de violations des dispositions du règlement 45/2001.

Opinion of 4 October 2007 on five notifications for prior checking on external investigations (Cases 2007-47, 2007-48, 2007-49, 2007-50, 2007-72)

The European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF) conducts external investigations outside the Community organs. Those investigations are performed for the purpose of detecting fraud or other irregular conduct of legal and natural persons affecting the financial interests of the European Communities. OLAF carries out on-the-spot inspections and checks on economic operators in the Member States and in third countries, and is empowered to request oral information, to ask any person for information and to make written requests for information. OLAF collects personal data of individuals during external investigations, uses those data for the assessment of the behaviour of the individual(s) concerned and further transfers or stores those data.

After analysing the data processing activities, the EDPS made a number of recommendations to OLAF.  These concern for example: ensuring the right of access and rectification as a main rule to data subjects, and that any restriction on those rights should meet a necessity test and be applied only on a case-by-case basis; respecting the confidentiality of whistleblowers and informants; drafting of standard letters/clauses with including the appropriate information to the data subjects.

Opinion of 4 October 2007 on a notification for prior checking on the Early Warning System (Case 2007-243)

The purpose of the Early Warning System (EWS) is to ensure the circulation of restricted information concerning third parties who could represent a threat to the Communities' financial interests and reputation or to any other fund administered by the Communities, with respect to which the Commission has a reasonable chance of entering, or has already entered, a contractual/conventional relationship with them.

As regards OLAF's function in the EWS, one has to differentiate between two separate roles:

• OLAF in its capacity as an investigative body may provide information leading to W1a and b flagging under Article 2(1) and (2) of the EWS Decision and W2a and W3b flagging under Article 3 and 4 of the EWS Decision.
• Like other DGs of the European Commission OLAF is eligible to initiate different flaggings not covered by its capacity as an investigative body. These flaggings are not analysed in the present opinion. OLAF's relation to the EWS as a 'normal Directorate-General' of the European Commission has already been prior checked by the EDPS. Access to the warnings also does not fall within the scope of this opinion.