Kristian Vigenin: On personal data protection, a balance has to be sought between administrative relief and the rights of citizens

“I welcome the intention of the European Commission to simplify additional procedural rules for the application of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for the benefit of small and medium-sized enterprises. But we should not forget that the risk of misuse of personal data does not depend on the size of the enterprise.” This was stated by the head of the Delegation of Bulgarian Socialists in the European Parliament Kristian Vigenin during the meeting of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) in the EP, where Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law and Consumer Protection, was heard.

As rapporteur for the Group of Socialists and Democrats on the regulation on additional procedural rules for the application of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Vigenin put the emphasis on protecting fundamental rights in the digital age. “We need to strike a balance between administrative relief and guaranteeing the rights of citizens and the protection of their personal data. Companies have already invested significant resources in complying with the regulation, and introducing exceptions at this stage risks leading to competitive inequality and a dilution of the established standards,” the MEP warned.