1. Communication on RFID: “steps towards a policy framework” (COM(2007)96 of 15 March 2007)
Council of the European Union
Working Party on Data Protection
Brussels, 24 May 2007

2. How Does RFID Work? Reader Transponder Antenna Computer System
Reader broadcasts signal through antenna
Antenna
Transponder is charged with enough energy to send back an identifying response
Transponder
Transponder receives signal
Computer System
Reader sends info/data to computer system for collecting, logging and processing

3. Why RFID Matters Strategic importance Socio-economic importance
Improve efficiency
Enable new products, services and solutions
Gain competitive advantage
Prepare Europe for the « Internet of Things »
Socio-economic importance
Safety, convenience, accessibility
Sectoral benefits
Horizontal benefits (anti-counterfeiting…)

4. Need for Legal Certainty
Data protection, privacy and security
Guidance on practical implementation of RFID under existing legal framework
Governance of resources
Model of an information retrieval network for RFID tags in the emerging “Internet of Things”
Radio spectrum
Short-term and longer-term spectrum requirements
Standards
Working towards international standards
Environment and health
Raising public awareness of existing legal framework

5. Actions at European Level: A threefold strategy
Technology development
ICT-FP7 (RFID in 4 ‘challenges’ out of 7)
Cluster of European Research Projects (CERP)
Awareness and multi-stakeholder debate
RFID Expert Group: from June 2007 to 31 March 2009
Regulatory measures
Self-regulation
Codes of conduct, best practices and guidelines on data protection and privacy aspects of various RFID applications
Close concertation with “Article 29 Data Protection Working Party”
Legislation
Recommendation to public authorities and other stakeholders
Input from Expert Group, “Art. 29 WP”, other initiatives
Further possible legislative steps

6. Milestones June 2007 By end of 2007 By end of 2008 2006 – 2008
Establishment of RFID Expert (Stakeholder) Group
Balanced representation of all relevant interests
By end of 2007
Recommendation
Principles that public authorities and other stakeholders should apply wrt RFID usage
Amendment of ePrivacy Directive
Add appropriate provisions wrt RFID
By end of 2008
Communication about the “Internet of Things”
Particular attention to security, privacy, trust, governance
Assessment of policy options, incl. legislation
2006 – 2008
International dialogue
China, Japan, Korea, Russia, USA…

7. Follow-up Council of the EU German Presidency of the EU
Telecommunications Council, 7 June
German Presidency of the EU
Conference “RFID: Towards the Internet of Things”, Berlin, June (
‘European Policy Outlook RFID’ document
Portugal Presidency of the EU
Tentatively: Conference & Exhibition “Towards a European Policy on RFID”, Lisbon, November
European Parliament
Participation of MEPs in RFID Events
STOA 20th Anniversary Exhibition, Strasbourg, May – 5 RFID R&D projects with live demonstration
European Economic & Social Committee
Exploratory Opinion expected in July

8. Outcome of Public Online Consultation (1)
Rely on technical solutions (70%) and awareness raising (67%) underpinned by legislation (55%) rather than on self-regulation (15%)
Less than 10% think there is no issue, and just over 10% think it is up to the end user to take action
66% want RFID tags attached to products in supermarkets to be automatically de-activated, to be removable (51%) or only readable on short distance (44%)

9. Outcome of Public Online Consultation (2)
74% of respondents is fairly strongly or very strongly concerned with RFID-enabled monitoring of employees
~50% thinks use of PETs in RFID applications should be mandatory, be promoted at European level (31%); ~10% wants to leave it to the market
Notification of RFID use can be done either by 3rd party certification (says 56%), or by self-certification (says 44%), as long as RFID use is clearly indicated

10. Privacy and Data Protection
Users’ privacy protection
Core principles should be defined
EU’s Data Protection and ePrivacy Directives
Compliance with principles “Working Party 29”
Communication on promoting Data Protection by PETs (COM(2007) 228 final)
Other societal concerns
RFID use in the workplace
Environment-friendly RFID tags

11. Further Information & Contact