University heads ‘gravely concerned’ about EU data laws

France’s association of university presidents, the CPU, has called on the French government and the European Council of Ministers to oppose data protection amendments that would have “disastrous consequences” for medical research.

In a statement published on 27 February, the CPU says it “wishes to express its grave concern” that proposed EU regulations “would render illegal, and even impossible, the use of personal data for research”. The CPU is “absolutely convinced” that scientific research is a top priority for guaranteeing public health and welfare, and that sharing data is an essential part of achieving progress in research.

The European Commission proposed a regulation on data protection in January 2012, to replace an existing directive and address risks associated with technological developments such as cloud computing.