Schengen: Privacy Under Threat
In October 2007 Privatim, the Union for data protection commissioners, urged Switzerland to conform its data protection to that of the EU. If the necessary changes are not made the privacy of Swiss citizens could be compromised, and they will not be protected to the same extent as other EU residents living within Schengen boundaries.
“Switzerland must conform immediately to the EU’s privacy protection laws and introduce the new privacy protection tools. Otherwise it risks that Swiss citizens, in the future, will be disadvantaged in comparison to their EU neighbours,” emphasised Bruno Baeriswyl, President of Privatim and data protection officer in the Canton of Zürich, during a press conference in Solothurn. The EU’s data protection guidelines demand the implementation of a fully independent control authority, effective impact competencies and a proactive control. Only when these specifications have been met at every level in Switzerland will the constitutional rights of all Swiss citizens be protected, insisted the Privatim in a press release dated 26th October 2007.
Switzerland will ratify the Schengen Agreement in January 2008. With the use of the information system SIS the exchange of information between Switzerland and the EU will radically increase. This has meant that many cantons have, in recent months, set about conforming to the appropriate data protection laws. However, according to the Privatim, in most cases these efforts have been inadequate. The guidelines from the Cantonal Government Conference have been fully realised in only five cantons.
- Abkommen von Schengen und Dublin: Mangelhafte Umsetzung benachteiligt Schweizer Bürgerinnen und Bürger
Press release by Privatim, 26 October 2007 (German, pdf, 3 p.)
Further information
- Data Protection - Switzerland
Privacy in Research, Ethics and Law
Update: 15.11.2007
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