Your privacy is important to us. Access to your personal data is subject to strict security controls and we will not share it with third parties.

Definition of the service

The Europe Direct Contact Centre is an information service for individuals and businesses, providing direct, personalised answers to general questions on the EU. It also refers users to additional relevant sources of information or advice.

Identification Data

Your personal data are collected and further processed only to the extent necessary to give you an answer: name, surname, contact details (e-mail address; telephone number if a call back is required), preferred language. In certain cases, country of residence, nationality, gender, age, economic category and organisation type are also mandatory.

Who has access to your information / who is it disclosed to?

The Commission officials in charge of the Europe Direct Contact Centre have access to your data, which is contained in a database. Your enquiry is stored on the server of our contractor, Communi-K (a consortium between Serco Belgium and Tipik), and may be forwarded by e-mail to the EU official responsible for replying to the enquiry.

The contractor has signed a contract with the European Commission which legally binds them to comply with applicable legislation on the protection and processing of personal data, and more specifically with Regulation (EC) No 45/2001.

No personal data is shared with third parties.

How do we protect and safeguard your information?

Inside the Commission, the data can be accessed by designated Commission officials with a user ID and a password, and by contractors responsible for technical aspects.

Outside the Commission, only the staff of the contractor, Communi-K, responsible for the reply or for technical maintenance, has access to your personal data, also by entering a user ID and a password.

The functioning of the servers containing the personal data is compliant with the Commission's security arrangements and the provisions established by its Security Directorate for such services and servers.

Personal data protection

The Europe Direct Contact Centre Database is operated under the responsibility of the Controller, Mr Antonis Papacostas, Head of Unit - “Citizens' contact”, Directorate General Communication, European Commission.

If you have questions or requests about the information you have submitted, please contact the Controller.

Where appropriate, your enquiry will be directed to an official at the EU institutions or a body (local, national or European level) who should be able to answer it.

If your enquiry is about your rights under EU law, it may be redirected to another European Commission service, Your Europe Advice.

• Your Europe Advice – privacy statement

If, after examining your request for advice, it appears you may need the help of national authorities to solve your problem, Your Europe Advice may transfer your case to SOLVIT, a problem-solving network that deals with problems between individuals or companies and the authorities in another country, in cases where there is a possible misapplication of EU law.

• SOLVIT privacy statement

If your enquiry concerns the European Parliament, it may be redirected to the Citizens' Enquiry Service of the European Parliament (CITES). Likewise, enquiries received by CITES may be redirected to the Europe Direct Contact Centre

You will be informed of all transfers between these services.

Access to your personal data

You have no direct access to the data stored in our server. If you wish to modify or delete your personal data, or want to know what personal data is stored on your behalf, please send us a message. You will receive a reply within 15 working days.

How long is your data kept?

All personal data received and stored – either by the Commission or the contractor – are erased after 5 years.

Subscription to the Europe Direct mailing list

The Europe Direct mailing list service allows you to receive information on the EU.

After ticking the optional checkbox "I authorise the European Commission to add my e-mail to the Europe Direct mailing list" available on the enquiry form, your personal data will be added to the Commission's mailing lists management tool ("MailMas").

You can modify your data at any time via MailMas. You have the possibility of:
• changing your identification data (your e-mail or password)
• changing your personal data
• changing your subscription
or completely unregister from the system.

Your data is available to Commission officials in charge of the EDCC and is kept in the mailing list database until you cancel the subscription.

Additional information

In addition to this privacy statement, this legal notice applies.