Methodology for evaluation of data protection
The European Commission, DG XV, has published an invitation to tender concerning a study testing the methodology to evaluate the adequacy of the level of protection of natural persons, in respect of the handling of data. The study concerns the implementation of methods aimed at evaluating the adequacy of third countries' levels of protection in the field of private data protection. A method for evaluation has been drawn up, which is the subject of a document to be appended to the tender documents. The object of this study is to test the implementation, in concrete instances, of several private data transfers to various third countries. These transfers will be determined by the successful tenderer, as regards both the fields where they arise and their destination within third countries, in accordance with the services of the Commission, subject to the following specifications. Data transfers will be chosen from the following five fields: - Management of a database on a multinational company's human resources; - Medical research and epidemiology; - Electronic trade and global communication networks; - Subcontracting agreements under which a firm established in the European Community requests a third country firm to handle private data; - Handling sensitive data within the framework of air transport reservation systems. The third countries to be selected for the study are the following six countries: Australia, Canada, China, the United States, Japan, New Zealand. In total, the study will simulate the implementation of the evaluation method in 30 private data transfers from a Community Member State to third countries. The contract will last for a maximum of nine months, with regular reports to be provided to the Commission. Tender documents may be obtained from: European Commission DG XV - Internal Market and financial services Unit D/1 - Free movement of information and data protection 200 rue de la Loi B-1049 Brussels Tel. +32-2-2957377; Fax +32-2-2968010 Completed tenders should be sent to: European Commission DG XV - Internal Market and financial services Resources (Unit XV-01) 200 rue de la Loi (C-107 6/39) B-1049 Brussels