Public discussions now underway for the Personal Data Protection Act amendment bill

Bulgaria

On 30 April 2018, the Council of Ministers launched public consultations for amendments and supplements to the Personal Data Protection Act (“Bill”).

The Bill can be viewed at this link, and outlines the requirements for implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”).

Amendments contained in the bill include:

  • The appointment of the Bulgarian Personal Data Protection Commission (“PDPC”) as the lead supervisory authority overseeing the GDPR.
  • The decision that the PDPC will train and certify Data Protection Officers.
  • The definition of additional rules that apply to specific cases (eg data processing when performed without legal grounds; establishing 14 years as the minimum age for consent when using information society services, etc.)
  • New definitions in compliance with the GDPR.
  • Establishing sanctions of EUR 20,000,000 for breaching these regulations, and other general sanction rules contained in the GDPR, which will apply in case of repeated violations.

As part of the current consultation, interested parties can submit statements before 14 May 2018. The government will then amend the bill according to this feedback, and will submit it to Parliament for a vote.

For more information on this Bill, the GDPR, and the consultation, please feel free to contact our office directly.