Kuner reviewing EU directive

Chris Kuner, head of Hunton & Williams' International Privacy and Information Management Practice, has been appointed to a five-person committee tasked with reviewing the EU Directive. The group will assist the European Commission in the preparation of legislation or in policy definition.

The volunteer members of the group, known as GEX PD, were chosen based on their personal competence, professional experience and commitment to data protection matters. Kuner was named the "go-to person for EU privacy" in Computerworld's survey of the best privacy advisers of 2008 and 2007, and was named a leader in his field in Chambers Global in 2006, 2007, and 2008.

The GEX PD first met on 4 December, at which time they identified five main categories of topics to be addressed in the coming months:

   1. Implementation of the Data Protection legal framework (e.g. notifications, enforcement, mutual recognition, lead regulator);
   2. Data processing in a globalised world (e.g. applicable law, international transfers)
   3. Legal issues (e.g. definitions, scope)
   4. Government access to data and its limitations
   5. Consumers' awareness and individuals' rights

Members will produce a short discussion paper on some of the specific topics within the first main category. The group will discuss the papers during the next GEX PD meeting on 19 February.