site.btaPresident Radev Vetoes Personal Data Protection Act Amendments

February 4 (BTA) - President Rumen Radev has vetoed a regulation from the Personal Data Protection Act amendments, passed by Parliament late January, his Press Secretariat said on Monday. Radev's objections are in regard to the criteria for personal data processing for journalistic purposes and the purposes of academic, artistic or literary expression.

The President said that the ten formulated criteria create unnecessary over-regulation, as they require journalists, scientists or writers to decide and prove lawful usage of personal data. He noted that carrying out these criteria, even separately, constitutes a restriction. Radev's motives also state that the regulation concerns the fundamental right to freedom of expression and information, emptying it of its content, and exercising this right becomes meaningless.

According to Radev, the necessary balance was not achieved and the 10-criteria regulation is an excessive and unbalanced measure.

The Association of European Journalists-Bulgaria (AEJ-Bulgaria) voiced concern that the revisions restrict the right to freedom of expression and called on President Rumen Radev to veto the law upon its adoption by Parliament on January 24.
RY/TH