This post was written by Cynthia O'Donoghue.

Following the lead of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), which already released its draft report (see our prior blog) 20 February, the European Parliament Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE Committee) published its Draft Opinion on the proposed General Data Protection Regulation. This opinion has been submitted to LIBE, which has the task of consolidating amendments and voting on its own report at the end of April.

In the Draft Opinion, ITRE rapporteur Seán Kelly outlined his substantial support for the proposed Regulation and suggested that the changes should help avoid excessive administrative burdens for enterprises, and introduce a greater degree of flexibility, especially in terms of accountability and the notification requirements to supervisory bodies. The ITRE Committee, however, proposed significant amendments to the Regulation in an attempt to ease restrictions on companies by focusing on corporate governance, the use of impact assessments, and bringing increased clarity to the provisions. It has recommended significant alterations to the most contentious provisions, such as consent mechanisms; the rights of access, portability, and to be forgotten; the 24-hour breach notification requirement; and the sanctions regime.

For a more detailed analysis, click here to read the issued Client Alert.