Government launches balance of competences review on information rights
28 Mar 2014 04:29 PM
The government has today
launched a call for evidence on the balance of competences between the UK and
the European Union in the area of information rights.
Information rights provide
individuals with rights concerning how their personal data is stored and used
by others. Personal data can include anything that identifies someone, this may
include health records, purchases and even library records. Information rights
also include the right to access public information, such as official documents
produced by government institutions.
The Balance of Competences
Review was launched by the Foreign Secretary William Hague in July 2012 as part
of the Coalition Government commitment to examine the balance of competences
between the UK and the European Union.
The Ministry of Justice, which
is leading on this strand of the review, would like to receive evidence from a
wide range of interested parties, including business, organisations, privacy
groups and the public, on the impact of this competence on their own area of
expertise.
The call for evidence will be
structured around a series of questions which include consideration of the
impact of the EU’s information rights framework, its advantages and
disadvantage for the UK and the future challenges and opportunities there are
in respect of information rights.
The public call for evidence
will run for 12 weeks. Anyone wishing to contribute is asked to send their
views before 1 July 2014. Following the close of the call for evidence, a
report on the Balance of Competences on Information Rights and what this means
for the national interest is due to be published at the end of
2014.
Further information on
the submission of evidence.
Notes to
Editors
- Read and respond to the call for
evidence
- The Balance of Competences
review will provide an analysis of what the UK’s membership of the EU
means for the UK national interest. It will not predetermine or prejudge
proposals which either coalition party may make in the future either for
changes to the EU or about the appropriate balance of
competences.
- The review is broken down into a
series of reports on specific areas of EU competence, spread over four
semesters between autumn 2012 and autumn 2014. It is led by the Government but
will also involve non-governmental experts, organisations and other individuals
who wish to contribute their views. Foreign governments, including our EU
partners and the EU institutions, are also being invited to submit responses.
The process will be comprehensive, evidence-based and analytical. The progress
of the review will be transparent, including in respect of the contributions
submitted. Further information can be found on the Balance of Competences
Review page’
- The term
‘competence’ is used to describe the powers, conferred on the EU by
the Member States, to undertake specific actions. The EU’s competences
are set out in the EU Treaties, which provide the legal basis for any actions
taken by the EU institutions. The EU can only act within the limits of the
competences conferred on it by the Treaties. This means there must be a legal
basis for the EU to act.
- Non-media enquiries should be
addressed to the Balance of Competence team by e-mail to fundamentalrightsBoC@justice.gsi.gov.uk
- For more information contact the
MOJ Press Office newsdesk on 020 3334 3536 and follow us @MoJPress on
Twitter.