On the 8th of April 2016, the EU Council will most likely adopt its position on the Data Protection Regulation. The Council decided in the end to use the written procedure. With this very uncommon procedure a continued debate in the Council is avoided and it will be possible for Parliament to adopt the regulation as soon as possible.

The European Parliament will probably confirm the receipt of the Council’s written statement at its next plenary session, 11-13 April. Then it will be possible for Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties ( “LIBE Committee”) to debate the position of the Council at its coming meeting, and then put it to a vote whether the LIBE-Committe would recommend that Parliament approve the Council’s position or not. LIBE Committee’s recommendation, which will most likely be a positive one, will then be used as the basis for Parliament’s adoption of the Regulation at one of the forthcoming plenary sessions.

After Parliament has adopted, the regulation may be published in the European Union Journal, whereby we have two years to adapt to the regulation before it completely replaces the existing Swedish data protection legislation.