Data Protection Notice - Connecting EU Seminar 2024

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is committed to respecting the privacy of the audience with which it communicates.

  1. What is the legal basis for the processing?

Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 applies to the processing by the EESC of personal data collected for the purposes mentioned above. The EESC is an advisory body of the European Union. Your personal data are processed in the performance of its tasks carried out in the public interest (Article 5.1.(a)). Some of your personal data are processed based on your consent (Article 5.1.(d)).

  1. Who is responsible for the processing of personal data?

Controller of personal data

The European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) is the controller for this personal data processing. The service in charge is the Press unit.

Press unit

Directorate D - Communication and Interinstitutional Relations

European Economic and Social Committee

Rue Belliardstraat 99, 1040 Bruxelles

Email: press@eesc.europa.eu

Processors of personal data

The processors for this personal data processing are: ICF Next. The contractors are bound by a contract signed with the EESC, including all data protection rules.

ICF Next

17 Avenue Marnix

1000 Brussels, Belgium

T + 32 2 275 01 00

  1. What personal data are collected and for what purpose?

Your personal data indicated on the registration form will be processed in order to:

  • facilitate your registration and participation to the seminar, including booking your travel arrangements and accommodation
  • receive notifications and information about the event
  • provide access to the venue
  • provide catering services in line with dietary requirements

Data necessary for the registration to the event and collected for communication purposes: First Name, Last Name, Email, Phone number, Country, Job Title, Company/Media/Academia/NGO/Civil Society Organisation title

Data for accreditation/access to the venue: First Name, Last Name, birth date, Identification card number/Passport with its issue date and expiry date.

Data collected for travel arrangements and accommodation: First Name, Last Name, city of departure and return, Email, Gender, Date of birth, Identification card number or Passport, mobility needs.

Data collected for catering purposes: dietary requirements.

EU survey will be used for event registration purposes (more information is available here on how EU Survey uses cookies and processes personal data:

We will never share your personal data for direct marketing purposes.

Please note that in the course of the seminar photographs will be taken. The event will be also video recorded.

Your consent is required for photos and video related to the above event. You can provide it via the event registration form.

Your photograph (with your consent only) may be used in EESC publications and/or published on the intranet, website and relevant social networks, accompanied by text, name, quotes, photos and/or video recordings of the event. No other personal data will be published. Slight editing might also take place (e.g. brightness and/or contrast adjustment). Video recordings (with your consent only) will be used partially for promotional and journalistic purposes afterwards.

We use social media to provide information about and promote our public debates through widely-used channels: Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube. The use of social media does not in any way imply endorsement of their privacy policies. We recommend that users read the Facebook, X, LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube privacy policies. Each company explains its policy of data collection and processing, its use of data, user rights and the ways in which users can protect their privacy when using these services.

Photos taken in the photo booth: you may enter your email address into the photo booth if you would like your photo emailed to you. You are under no obligation to provide your email address and the photo booth does not retain or transfer your email address.

The EESC is not responsible for recordings (such as photographs or videos) made by participants in a private capacity.

  1. Who has access to your personal information and to whom it is disclosed?

The following organisations or individuals will have access to all or parts of your data:

  • Relevant staff of the European Economic and Social Committee (all data collected)
  • ICF Next, the contractor assisting in the organisation of the event (all data collected except the photos and video material) and its subcontractors:
  • IP Travel (travel agency)
  • First Euroflat hotel

Access to personal data will be granted exclusively on a need-to-know-basis in order to fulfil the tasks and responsibilities associated to this project.

For the purpose of booking accommodation, ICF Next will share relevant reservation details (e.g., full name, mobility needs if applicable) with the First Euroflat hotel.

For the purpose of booking travel arrangements, IP Travel will process the following personal data: full name, mobile phone number, nationality, date of birth, gender, country, outgoing and incoming city, email address, passport number and expiration date, mobility needs if applicable. Please find here iptravel_data_privacy_protection.pdf the IP Travel privacy policy for more information.

Please note that some providers, such as travel agency, hotels, handle your personal data as separate data controllers, subject to their own privacy policies which differ from this one; please read their privacy policy on the websites or available at registration desks.

For the purposes of providing catering services during the event, ICF Next will share relevant dietary requirements (and no other personal data) with the restaurant where the event will take place.

  1. How long do we keep your data?

Your data will be retained only for the time needed to fulfil the intended objectives and for a maximum period of 12 months.

Data relating to financial transactions are retained for a period of 5 years following the discharge of the financial exercise. The discharge of the financial exercise generally takes place 2 years after the financial year, meaning a total of 7 years for holding the personal data or until the end of a possible audit if it started before the end of the above period.

Data will be automatically removed at the end of the respective period or when no longer needed. Photographs and videos are kept and may be used for historical purposes for a period of maximum 30 years.

  1. What are your rights?

You have the right to access your personal data, to rectify any inaccurate or incomplete personal data, to block (under certain conditions) the processing of your personal data, to object to the processing of your data and to request the deletion of your personal data.

You can direct your queries to press@eesc.europa.eu

The query will be dealt with within one month of receipt of the request. Considering the volume and complexity of the incoming requests that period may be extended by two further months. In such case, we shall inform you accordingly in advance.

You also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. Please note that withdrawal of consent will not have retroactive effect (processing of your personal data based on your consent before withdrawal is lawful up to the moment when you withdraw your consent).

  1. How do we protect and safeguard your personal data?

Both the controller and the data processor will process your data using access restricted and secured IT systems as mentioned above.

  1. Whom can you contact in case of queries or complaints?

If you have any further questions about the processing of your personal data, please contact the data controller press@eesc.europa.eu

You may also contact, at any time, the EESC Data Protection Officeror the European Data Protection Supervisor.