It has been approved by a Commission Decision of 25 March 2008 and it will apply until 31 December 2012. The ‘Platform on Electronic Data Retention for the Investigation, Detection and Prosecution of Serious Crime’, a group of 25  experts in matters relating to retention of personal data for law enforcement purposes in the electronic communications sector. The group is set up in order to submit by 15 September 2010 to the European Parliament and Council an evaluation of the application of the Directive and its impact on economic operators and consumers

Task to be developed by the Platform

The tasks of the group of experts are:

• Provide a forum for dialogue and the sharing of experience and best practice among experts.
• Encourage and facilitate a common orientation on the application of the Directive.
• Exchange information about relevant technological developments, costs and effectiveness.
• Assist the Commission in identifying and defining difficulties which have emerged for the Member States.
• Assist the Commission in its evaluation of the application of the Data Retention Directive and its impact on economic operators and consumers.

Background to the new platform

Directive 2006/24/EC of the European Parliament and the Council of 15 March 2006 on the retention of data generated or processed in  connection with the provision of publicly available electronic communications services or of public communications networks (the Data Retention Directive) aims to harmonise Member States’ provisions concerning the obligations of providers of publicly available electronic communications services or of public communications networks with respect to the retention of certain data which are generated or processed by them in order to ensure that such data are available for the purpose of the investigation, detection and prosecution of serious crime.