Electronic communications: processing of personal data, protection of privacy

The committee adopted the report by Marco CAPPATO (IND, I) on data protection, which had been referred back to committee at the September 2001 part-session. The committee decided to leave it up to the different Member States to determine under their own legislation whether unsolicited email for marketing purposes should be allowed only with the prior consent of subscribers ("opt-in") or whether subscribers should just have the right to insist on being removed from mailing lists ("opt-out"). By contrast, the committee wanted direct marketing by fax, SMS or automated calling systems to be allowed only with prior consent by subscribers. The committee also voted for subscribers to have the right to request that their names be removed from printed or electronic directories ("opt-out"). Furthermore, MEPs wanted data over and above what was necessary to identify a particular subscriber to be listed only with that person's prior consent. On the rest of the text, the amendments approved by Parliament when Mr Cappato's original report came up for debate and vote in the September 2001 part-session were reconfirmed. �