Swedes criticise EU data protection rules

Sixteen professors from major Swedish universities have criticised a proposed EU-wide regulation on personal data use.

In their letter, published on 25 February in newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, the Swedish researchers warn that the regulation will curtail Swedish medicine research. Sweden has several long-standing medical data registries, such as the Medical Birth Registry and the Cancer Registry. These databases contain information on cases gathered in groups, rather than on individuals, so personal data cannot be discerned.