EU data protection supervisor questions data access plans

Raises fears that personal data contained within public documents may not be adequately protected

The European Commission wants to improve the transparency of government

The European Data Protections Supervisor Peter Hustinx is unhappy with a proposed law to improve public access to EU documents.

The law, proposed by the European Commission, aims to improve the transparency of European government.

But the supervisor is concerned that personal data contained within public documents may not be adequately protected after a reference to possible harm to "the privacy and the integrity" of the individual was deleted from the proposal.

"Public access on the one hand and privacy and data protection on the other are fundamental rights which represent key elements of good governance," said Hustinx.

"I am not fully satisfied with the solution proposed by the Commission on how to grant public access to documents containing personal data."

The European parliament will debate his proposal.