Germany is now working to persuade other union members to join it in voting to change the directive, which is also the subject of talks between the union's Council of Ministers and the European Parliament, which favors an approach more like Germany's.
The Commission intends to submit by the end of 1998 a separate proposal for a directive which will also resolve inter alia issues relating to liability.
In particular, a majority of MEPs has consistently stressed the urgent and indispensable need to guarantee a sufficient level of data protection, as set out by the data protection directive, before allowing the bulk collection of flight passenger data envisaged by the EU Passenger Name Record (PNR) directive, which is also to be put to a vote at the April Strasbourg session.
I would also have expected more from the Commission today in terms of more criticism and also of more questions about the background to the directive on patenting which also virtually legitimises past practice on the part of the Patent Office.
The data protection regulation is part of a package which also includes a directive.
If eventually adopted by the European Parliament, the directive will be sent to the EU Council, which also has to approve it - a process that could take months.
And while some critics say the changes will hurt small businesses to the benefit of existing internet giants, those same giants - including Facebook and Google - also oppose the directive, which would make them liable for content uploaded by their users.
The European Commission's e-commerce directive, which looks at the liability of intermediaries, is also under review.
A living will — also known as an "advance directive" — which states your wishes for end-of-life care.
Geomalacus maculosus is also protected by the European Union's Habitats Directive (which was a response to the Bern Convention) and has been listed as an Annex II and Annex IV species since 1992.
