EU Member States Opposing Onerous EU Data Privacy Regime

Fear fine amounts could make it difficult for EU firms to be competitive

Just over a year after the European Justice Commissioner Viviane Reding lifted the lid on new plans to reform the data protection and privacy laws in the region, Brussels is facing its greatest challenge yet by no other than its own member states.

First reported by the Financial Times of London (paywalled), the Commission may "water down" proposals after a group of EU member states said they were heavily opposed to a number of proposed measures—which include measures that could see EU-based firms fines of up to 2 percent of a company's global revenue for data breaches.