The European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee held a crucial vote this evening on the future of privacy and data protection in Europe.

We applaud Parliamentarians for supporting – and even improving - several important and valuable elements of the original Commission proposal.

On Monday, 21 October, the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee will vote on the following compromise amendments:

• Voting List (pdf)

• COMP Article 01 : http://www.edri.org/files/eudatap/01COMPArticle01.pdf
• COMP Article 02 : http://www.edri.org/files/eudatap/02COMPArticle02.pdf
• COMP Article 03 : http://www.edri.org/files/eudatap/03COMPArticle03.pdf
• COMP Article 04 : http://www.edri.org/files/eudatap/04COMPArticle04.pdf
• COMP Article 05 : http://www.edri.org/files/eudatap/05COMPArticle05.pdf
• COMP Article 06 : http://www.edri.org/files/eudatap/06COMPArticle06.pdf
• COMP Article 07 : http://www.edri.org/files/eudatap/07COMPArticle07.pdf
• COMP Article 08 : http://www.edri.org/files/eud

On Monday 21 October, the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties will decide on the future of privacy and data protection in Europe. The recent revelations surrounding government surveillance involving some of the Internet's biggest companies have highlighted the urgency of an update of Europe's privacy rules.

The Regulation will have a major impact on the digital environment for citizens, businesses and public bodies. "The choice is between clear, harmonised, predictable and enforceable rules that will benefit European citizens and businesses or unclear, unpredictable rules that will benefit nobody except data monopolies and lawyers," said Joe McNamee, EDRi's Executive Director.

On 21 October, the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) will vote a an of huge importance to civil rights: The General Data Protection Regulation.

The purpose of this very long legislative proposal is to make sure that our rights to privacy and data protection can be effectively asserted in our everyday lives.

However, some Parliamentarians have been asking for weaker data protection. Some of the proposals might even kill our fundamental right to data protection and privacy!

You can contact your Members of the European Parliament now and tell them to assume their responsibility to stand up for our rights.

How much time do you have?

We're happy to announce a screening of Cullen Hoback's very timely documentary about the dangers of signing up to excessive and unpredictable license terms which undermine privacy and permit surveillance: "Terms and Conditions may apply".

The filmmaker tells a terrifying story and coherently argues that we need to reclaim control of our personal data. We wanted our policy makers to see the film before the most important vote on privacy and data protection in the European Parliament. It takes place on:

If you need a badge to access the European Parliament, please contact kirsten.fiedler(at)edri.org before Wednesday afternoon, 16 October at 2pm.

Download the poster (pdf).

On 21 October the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) will vote a hugely important dossier: The General Data Protection Regulation.

This very long legislative document is intended to ensure that our rights to privacy and data protection can be effectively asserted in our everyday lives. One of the main purposes of the Regulation is to give citizens greater control over their personal information - maintaining the principles that were developed in the 1995 Data Protection Directive. Recent revelations have shown just how important this is.

• The Lobbyists' Charter
• Snowden deserves the 2013 Sakharov Prize
• Joint letter on Market Surveillance and Product Safety Regulation
• UK surveillance activities have been challenged at the ECtHR
• The 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics under strong surveillance
• Has Switzerland become a center of spy technology exports?
• LSE report: file-sharing is rather beneficial to music industry
• ENDitorial: Licences for Europe – user generated content and Commission-generated users
• Recommended Reading
• Agenda

Today, 23 European non-governmental organisations released an open letter to the Conference of Presidents of the European Parliament in support of Edward Snowden's nomination for the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought 2013.