The Commission for Personal Data Protection (CPDP) inspected 59 political entities – parties, coalitions (the parties involved in the coalition) and nomination committees that have applied for registration to participate in the elections for the European Parliament. In order to do so, the Commission for Personal Data Protection adopted a special methodology and conducted training of the inspection teams. The methods used in the inspections were questionnaires, interviews and checking the registers containing personal data. The results will be announced at a special press conference on 31 July 2014, after consideration of statements of findings. The inspections became necessary after hundreds of citizens filed complaints and signals for abuse of personal data in the registration of parties for the elections of Members of the European Parliament from the Republic of Bulgaria on May 25, 2014. The Commission for Personal Data Protection received over 1 300 complaints and signals.
The aim of the inspections is to find out if the political parties and initiative committees fulfil their duties as data controllers in accordance with the Data Protection Law; to check the facts and circumstances related to the citizens’ complaints and signals; and to take preventive actions against personal data abuse.
To ensure publicity and transparency, representatives of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) participating in Public Council to the Central Election Commission, as well as ones acting in the area of civil rights, public awareness and monitoring of the activities of the institutions, were invited to the inspections. NGO representatives were first familiarized with the methodology of the inspections and provided with a certificate of observers.
