At the formal Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting in Brussels yesterday, justice ministers reviewed ongoing work in connection with the European Court of Justice decision last year holding that member states cannot impose a general data retention requirement on providers of electronic communications devices.
Luxembourg’s minister of Justice, Félix Braz, congratulated the Matlese presidency on the process of reflection thus far put in place, which has enabled common guidelines to be drawn up in relation to the consequences of the decision which excludes the widespread conservation of undifferentiated and unlimited communication data.
Pending the submission of experts' conclusions on access and exchange of electronic evidence in June 2017, ministers had a preliminary discussion on criminal justice in cyberspace.
Minister Braz advocated a balanced multidisciplinary approach that encompasses the protection of personal data while taking into account operational needs on the ground.
Image: Felix Braz speaking to Wolfgang Brandstetter, Austria's justice minister in Brussels yesterday.
