- About the Commission for the Protection of Privacy (CPP)
- About the conference
- About the conference organisation
- About the Belgian EU presidency
About the Commission for the Protection of Privacy (CPP)
The Commission for the Protection of Privacy is an independent authority ensuring the protection of privacy during the processing of personal data, established by the Belgian Federal House of Representatives with the Act of 8 December 1992. It is one of the data protection authorities (DPAs) currently in place in all EU member states, and maintains regular contacts with its European counterparts in an effort to remove potential obstacles to personal data flows and to ensure a high level of privacy and data protection throughout the EU.
Vision
In its reflections and with its actions, the Commission for the Protection of Privacy wishes to ensure balanced safeguards for the fundamental right to privacy protection. It recognizes the information society's need to collect and process personal data for societal and economic developments and compares societal and economic needs with this fundamental right in order to come to decisions and privacy safeguards reconciling both elements. The Commission realizes that any personal data processing operation implies risks for privacy protection and consequently stresses the importance of informing data subjects as well as processors about these risks, and of integrating safeguards, particularly relating to information security. Moreover, it focuses on the importance of the use of technologies in personal data processing for more well-being and welfare for citizens in our current society.
The Commission strives towards citizens who are confident in using those technologies, underlining individuals' responsibility to be aware of how they handle both their own and other people's personal data. It therefore contributes to informing them on how to act safely and responsibly when they disclose and process personal data. The Commission wishes to stress the importance of safeguarding and respecting the rights of the data subjects involved in the processing of their personal data and will try to use its authority to encourage public and private controllers of processing operations to take all measures necessary, based on a thorough risk analysis, in order to safeguard the fundamental right to respect of one's private and family life.
In doing so, the Commission would like to act as a recognized national and international leader. It wishes to leave a mark on the elaboration and development of relevant norms concerning information security and privacy, and to ensure and promote respect of these norms with adequate supervision mechanisms.
In order to meet the challenge of increasing cross-border personal data processing operations, the Commission – as a national point of reference – will cooperate intensively with other especially European nations developing activities, watching over the impact of internationalisation on national data processing operations.
About the conference
Privacy issues in scientific research require the CPP's increasing attention, confirming the general trend of greater privacy awareness. Yet informal contacts with the world of research show that privacy regulations are often unknown to researchers, and in the rare cases they are, they are mostly ignored "since free research is only obstructed by data protection concerns…" The CPP, however, is convinced that it is not. Thus the idea for this conference was born.
With the organization of a privacy and research conference, the CPP wishes to engage in a respectful and constructive dialogue between data protection authorities, other interested legal professionals, academics and researchers, the overall aim being the elaboration of best practices for researchers. In other words: how to conduct studies respecting the privacy of research subjects but also achieving research objectives – hence the title "from Obstruction to Construction".
In order to guarantee solid content and support from the field, academic researchers were hired by the CPP to assist its legal experts in the preparation of the conference. The preparatory work has been carried out under the scientific guidance and supervision of two so-called "counselling committees", one for historical research and one for medical research, composed of experts in these fields. The full composition of the committees can be found below. The CPP is confident that their support is a key factor in the success of the conference.
Historical Research Advisory Committee
- President: VAN HOVE Erik
- Members:
- BALTHAZAR Herman
Mr Herman Balthazar is a Flemish historian and professor emeritus of the Universiteit Gent (UGent). He was governor of the province of East-Flanders from 1985 to 2004. - DE BAETS Antoon
Mr Antoon de Baets is professor at the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen (RUG), where he teaches history and human rights. He is also the founder and coordinator of the "Network of Concerned Historians". - DE WEVER Bruno
Mr Bruno De Wever is history professor at the Universiteit Gent (UGent) and specializes in the political history of the 20th century. - GOTOVITCH José
Mr José Gotovitch is (honorary) professor at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), where he teaches contemporary history and specializes in the social and political history of Belgium. He is also honorary director of the CEGES-SOMA. - JAUMAIN Serge
Mr Serge Jaumain is professor at the Political Science Faculty of the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and specializes in the contemporary political history of Belgium. - KESTELOOT Chantal
Ms Chantal Kesteloot is Doctor in Contemporary History at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB). At the Centre for historical research and documentation on War and contemporary Society (CEGES-SOMA), where she is in charge of the scientific events sector as well as chief editor of the historical journal edited by the centre. - LUYTEN Dirk
Dirk Luyten studied history at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). In 1999 he became researcher at CEGES-SOMA and since 2006, he is also a part-time guest professor at the Universiteit Gent (UGent). His fields of research are corporatism, economic collaboration and the punishment that followed, and the history of social policy. - MARTYN Georges
Mr Georges Martyn is a lawyer at the Kortrijk bar and substitute Justice of the Peace. He is also professor at the Law Faculty of the Universiteit Gent (UGent). - ROUSSEAUX Xavier
Mr Xavier Rousseaux is professor at the Philosophy, Arts and Literature Faculty of the Université catholique de Louvain (UCL) and specializes in the history of crime and justice. He is also researcher at the Fonds national de la recherche scientifique (FRS-FNRS). - VANDERMAESEN Maurice
Mr Vandermaesen is head of the National Archives department located in Bruges. - VAN DOORSLAER Rudi
Rudi Van Doorslaer studied contemporary history at the Universiteit Gent (UGent). In 1985 he became a permanent researcher at the CEGES-SOMA. From 1999 to 2001, he directed the Research Commission on Jewish Assets (Prime Minister's Department). From 1 September 2005, he has been Director of the CEGES-SOMA. - VAN GOETHEM Herman
Mr Herman Van Goethem is professor at the Law Faculty of the Universiteit Antwerpen (UA) and chairman of the university's History Department. He is the author of many books on the contemporary history of Belgium and its monarchy. - VELLE Karel
Mr Karel Velle has been Belgium's National Archivist since 1 May 2005 and is part-time professor at the Universiteit Gent (UGent), where he teaches social and political history subjects, and at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), where he teaches archival law. - VERMOTE Michel
Mr Michel Vermote studied history at the Universiteit Gent (UGent). Since 2003 he has been the coordinator of Archiefbank Vlaanderen, an online database of Flemish private archives. - VOORHOOF Dirk
Mr Dirk Voorhoof is professor the at Political and Social Sciences faculty as well as the Law Faculty of the Universiteit Gent (UGent). He is also a lecturer at Copenhagen University and is a member of various media-related institutions and authorities.
- BALTHAZAR Herman
Medical Research Advisory Committee
- President: VAN HOVE Erik
- Members:
- BALTHAZAR Tom
Mr Tom Balthazar is professor at the Criminal Justice and Criminology Department of the Universiteit Gent (UGent) and specializes in medical law and health law. - BANGELS Marc)
Marc Bangels is a Belgian MD and biomedical information technology graduate, and works at the Belgian Ministry of Social Affairs and Public Health as a medical telematics expert. - CALLENS Stefaan
Mr Stefaan Callens is lawyer at the Brussels bar and has taught health law at the K.U.Leuven since 1995. - DE MOOR Georges
Mr Georges De Moor is a Belgian MD and head of the Department of Health Informatics and Medical Statistics of the Universiteit Gent (UGent) - DECORTE Ronny
Mr Ronny Decorte is a biochemist and part-time professor at the K.U.Leuven, where he lectures forensic genetics. He is also head of laboratory at the forensic genetics and molecular archaeology activity centre of the UZ Leuven hospital. - DEMANET Etienne
Mr Etienne Demanet is master of training course at the Université Libre de Bruxelles and an experienced researcher. He is also head of the Science and Quality Department at the ARESA clinical research cluster. - MORTIER Freddy
Mr Freddy Mortier lectures general philosophy and bioethics at the Universiteit Gent (UGent) and he is the current dean of the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy. He is also a member of the (Belgian) National Advisory Committee for Bioethics. - NISET Georges
Mr Georges Niset is head of the Physiotherapy Department at the Erasme hospital in Brussels and is secretary of Erasme's ethics committee. - NYS Herman
Mr Herman Nys lectures medical law at the K.U.Leuven and is Director of the university's Centre for Biomedical Ethics and Law. - RAES Koen
Mr Koen Raes is professor in philosophy of law at the Law Faculty of the Universiteit Gent (UGent). He is also Vice-Chairman of the Vlaamse Gezondheidsraad and chief editor of the Samenleving en Politiek and Ethiek en Maatschappij magazines. - STERCKX Sigrid
Ms Sigrid Sterckx teaches courses in ethics, bioethics, environmental ethics, biomedical ethics and applied ethics. She is a member of several advisory bodies, such as the Belgian Advisory Committee on Bioethics. - TOUSSAINT Béatrice
Ms Béatrice Toussaint is Scientific Research Coordinator at the Belgian Federal Public Service for Public Health. - VAN BROECKHOVEN Christine)
Ms Christine Van Broeckhoven specializes in genetic research on brain diseases and is director of the VIB Department of Molecular Genetics at the Universiteit Antwerpen (UA). - VAN DAELE Lieve
Ms Lieve Van Daele is Adviser at the Belgian Science Policy Office, International Coordination Department. - VAN DE SANDE Stefaan
Mr Stefaan Van De Sande is an expert of the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre. - VAN GYSEGHEM Jean-Marc
Mr. Jean-Marc Van Gyseghem is researcher at the Centre de Recherches Informatique et Droit of the Université de Namur and is director of the Libertés dans la société de l'information unit. - VAN HELDEN Jacques
Mr Jacques Van Helden specializes in genomics and lectures at the Université Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), the Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris and the Université de la Méditerannée in Marseille. - VAN QUATHEM Kristof
Mr Kristof Van Quathem is Data Protection Advisor at the Covington & Burling law firm in Brussels. - WEYLER Joost
Mr Joost Weyler is professor at the Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Department of the Universiteit Antwerpen (UA).
- BALTHAZAR Tom
Top ↑
About the conference organisation
The Privacy and Research Conference is a two-day event. On 22 November 2010, a series of tutorials will be given on various subjects including data protection legislation but also genetics, archives, intelligence data, … More details about the tutorials can be found in the Programme section. Registration for the tutorials is free of charge if you have received an invitation letter. If not, you may be charged 150 euros, which will be mentioned explicitly in a separate e-mail our team will send you.
The conference proper will take place on 23 November 2010, and registration here is only possible with a code. If you have received an invitation letter with a code, your registration will be free of charge. If not, contact us to receive a registration code, but you may then be charged for your participation. If so, this will be mentioned explicitly in the e-mail containing your registration code.
Please note that the final registration date for all participants is 5 November 2010.
The opening and closing plenary sessions of the conference bring together key note speakers from all areas concerned, such as the internationally renowned DNA specialist Christine Van Broeckhoven, and Peter Hustinx who represents the world of data protection at EU level. The focus of the conference, however, is on the workshops, where there will be room for open and lively discussions on specific topics between legal experts, academics and researchers. Detailed information about the workshops is also available in the Programme section.
The working language for both 22 and 23 November 2010 is English. Simultaneous translation into French and Dutch will nevertheless be provided for the opening and closing plenary sessions on the 23rd.
We would also like to inform our participants that both on 22 and 23 November, a photographer and a film crew will be present.
Top ↑
About the Belgian EU Presidency
The privacy and scientific research conference is organised in the context of the Belgian EU presidency, more particularly the presidency's main objective of making the EU a space for ever greater freedom, safety and justice. If you are interested in the common work programme of the trio EU presidency (Spain, Belgium and Hungary) you can consult the website of the Belgian presidency.
The Belgian Commission for the Protection of Privacy is proud to be one of the signatories of the sustainable presidency charter and has thus committed to organising its conference as much as possible according to ecological criteria.
In this context, the choice for the Crowne Plaza hotel is not coincidental: it is located close to a train and metro station, the most ecological modes of transport. Foreign participants can stay at the hotel (or in one of the hotels nearby) so they don't have to drive or be driven to the conference location. Moreover, the Crowne Plaza has been awarded the "Ecodynamic Enterprise" label of the City of Brussels, meaning that the hotel privileges ecological management and consequently strives towards the reduction of water pollution, energy consumption, toxic emissions, waste production etc. For hotel meals it works with Exki, a Belgian catering company that only prepares fresh and natural food without artificial ingredients and prefers regional quality products.
For the privacy and research conference the CPP will also avoid unnecessary printing and look for ecological alternatives in every aspect of the conference organisation.
Top ↑
