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Energy, Climate change, Environment

Privacy Statement

Data Protection Notice for the Central Portal of the European Marine Observation and Data Network (EMODnet)

Your personal data is processed in accordance with Regulation (EU) No 2018/1725 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data.

The data controller of the processing operation is Head of Unit of Unit D.3 “Sustainable Blue Economy” of the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), CINEA-EMFAF-CALLS@ec.europa.eu. The following entities process your personal data on our behalf: EMODnet Secretariat administered by Seascape Belgium which is responsible for the content management of the EMODnet Central Portal website, and Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) which is responsible for developing and hosting the website and Central Portal data services. As host and developer of the Central Portal, VLIZ is therefore primarily responsible for data collection and ensuring data protection while the EMODnet Secretariat’s main role is to assist with the management of the data. Both entities can be reached at the following address: Wandelaarkaai 7, 8400 Oostende, Belgium, via the phone: +32-(0)59-34 21 30 or by sending an email to secretariat@emodnet.ec.europa.eu or privacy@vliz.be (link sends e-mail).

The legal basis for the processing activities are Article 5(1)(a) of Regulation EU 2018/1725 because processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest (or in the exercise of official authority vested in the Union institution or body); Article 5(1)(d) of Regulation EU 2018/1725 based on your explicit consent for your non-mandatory personal data indicated below.

The purposes of this processing are:

  1. Personalisation of access to the system and provision of information
    To access the full functionality of the EMODnet Central Portal Query Tool users are required to register. Personal mandatory data collected includes: name, e-mail address, password, chosen fields of interest and purpose for using the tool. No non-mandatory data are collected.
  2. The Contact Us Form
    Use of the contact us form allows visitors to provide comments, ask questions and/or provide feedback. The feedback is stored in the functional mailboxes where the questions or feedback are sent. The following personal data are collected: (full) name, e-mail address, and type of organisation as well as the name of the organisation or institution to which the requester belongs are mandatory for the purpose(s) outline above. No non-mandatory data are collected. This feedback will be securely maintained in a feedback register for statistical purposes.
  3. Participation in (on-line) surveys
    At certain times, information may be collected using on-line user surveys on a voluntary basis, to evaluate the user experience, quality of the provided content and services, as well as the identification of areas for improvement. The personal data collected depends on the type of survey and includes as a minimum following mandatory personal data: country and organisation type. For some surveys, additional non-mandatory information may be collected: full name, e-mail address, telephone number and/or Skype name.
  4. Conference and other event participation
    In order to participate in events organised by the EMODnet Secretariat in collaboration with its partners, registration is required for organisational purposes (venue size, catering services, to inform participants on programme updates, etc.). Registration involves collecting the following mandatory data: name, email, affiliation. Registration forms will contain a section to allow participants to subscribe to further communications by EMODnet Secretariat, or to remove their data once the event has taken place (this is the default option). For each event, several e-mails may be sent as part of the communication agreement: save-the-date, posting of the tentative programme, abstract submission calls, closing of the early bird or final programme, and the closing e-mail with links to pictures taken and download links for presentations.
    During our events, pictures/films may be taken which will be communicated to the participant, used in the EMODnet reports and other EMODnet publications, or posted on our website. If you do not want your pictures to be published, you can send a request for the removal of photographs or films to the e-mail address used for event administration or to secretariat@emodnet.ec.europa.eu. Photos in which the requesters are shown will be removed from our web sites and servers; for films, the film segment will be cut out or the film deleted if the requesters are clearly visible.
  5. Visitor tracking and website logs
    The EMODnet Central Portal makes use of the IT support and system of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ) to support its website and IT services. VLIZ keeps logs of website visits – which contain: an IP address, time stamp, and the url visited and user agent string - for bug tracking and to monitor for malicious behaviour.
  6. Subscription to the EMODnet Newsletter mailing list
    The EMODnet Secretariat manages a mailing list to circulate the EMODnet News Digest (Newsletter and newsflashes). Each e-mail sent to these mailing lists contains an unsubscribe link and a contact address. The only personal data collected for this purpose is a functional e-mail address (mandatory). The EMODnet Secretariat makes use of the services of EC Newsroom for this purpose.
    • You can update your preferences and unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our News Digest emails;

The mandatory data collected (e.g. name and email) are used for the purposes outlined above and the non-mandatory data (e.g. institute) can only be processed based on your explicit prior consent.

The legal basis of the processing are:

•         Council Regulation 58/2003 of 19 December 2002 laying down the Statute for executive agencies to be entrusted with certain tasks in the management of EU programmes;

•         Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2021/173 of 12 February 2021 establishing the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency, ./… and repealing Implementing Decisions 2013/801/EU…;

•         Commission Decision C(2021)947 of 12 February 2021, delegating powers to the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency;

•         Regulation (EU) No 508/2014 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 15 May 2014 on the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulations (EC) No 2328/2003,  (EC) No 861/2006, (EC) No 1198/2006 and (EC) No 791/2007 and Regulation (EU) No 1255/2011 of the European Parliament and of the Council (OJ L 149/1 of 20.5.2014) (EMFF programme).

Your personal data is only disclosed to recipients on a need to know basis.

The recipients of your personal data will be the contractors and/or operators in charge of the EMODnet Central Portal (Seascape Belgium administering the EMODnet Secretariat and Flanders Marine Institute hosting the Central Portal) and could also be made accessible to CINEA and Commission staff in charge of EMODnet, staff of CINEA or Commission bodies charged with monitoring or inspection tasks in application of EU law (e.g. internal audits, Court of Auditors, European Anti-fraud Office (OLAF).

The processing of your data will not include automated decision-making (such as profiling).

You have the right to access your personal data and to request your personal data to be rectified, if the data are inaccurate or incomplete; where applicable, you have the right to request restriction or to object to processing, to request a copy or erasure of your personal data held by the data controller. If processing is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of the processing based on your consent before its withdrawal. If such actions are required, please email us at secretariat@emodnet.ec.europa.eu or and/or privacy@vliz.be (link sends e-mail). Your request to exercise one of the above rights will be dealt with without undue delay and within one month.

If you have any queries concerning the processing of your personal data, you may address them to Head of Unit A.3 - EMFF of the CINEA (entity acting as data controller) via: CINEA-EMFF-CALLS@ec.europa.eu (link sends e-mail).

You shall have right of recourse at any time to the CINEA Data Protection Officer at CINEA-DPO@ec.europa.eu and to the European Data Protection Supervisor at https://edps.europa.eu.

 

In case of audits or proceedings, etc., personal data may be provided to CINEA’s Internal Controller, DPO, Legal Sector, etc.

In addition, data may be disclosed to public authorities in accordance with Union and Member State law, such as for instance the European Court of Justice or a national judge as well as the lawyers and the agents of the parties in case of a legal procedure, the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), the Internal Audit Service of the Commission, the Court of Auditors, the European Ombudsman, the European Data Protection Supervisor and the European Public Prosecutor’s Office.

However, in line with Article 25 of the Regulation, the data controller may restrict the rights of the data subjects based on the Decision of the Steering Committee (2020) 26 of 14/10/20 (OJEU L 45 on 9.2.2021, p. 80), in case where such restriction constitutes a measure necessary to safeguard the protection of the data subjects or the rights and freedoms of other data subjects, etc.

 

Please note that some services provided by EMODnet partners may contain links to other third-party tools or websites whose privacy practices may be different from this site. Neither EMODnet, CINEA, the European Commission or the European Union can be held responsible for the privacy practices or policies within any of these other third-party tools or websites. You should be aware of this when you leave the current website and we encourage you to carefully read the privacy statements of other web sites you visit, as we have no control over information that is submitted to or collected by such third parties.

We will update our Privacy Statement and Data Protection Notice whenever necessary. Unless, and until, you object in writing by contacting us at secretariat@emodnet.ec.europa.eu or and/or privacy@vliz.be (link sends e-mail), all changes will apply to your existing personal information that EMODnet holds, and the personal information collected from the effective date of the revised Privacy Statement. Your use of the EMODnet Central Portal website following the effective date of any revision will constitute your acceptance of the terms of the updated Privacy Statement.

Version August 2021