Privacy statement

This privacy statement provides information about the processing and the protection of your personal data.

Processing operation: DG MARE EU Fleet Register

Data Controller: DG MARE/C4 - Data Management Unit

Record reference: DPR-EC-02746

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Why and how do we process your personal data?
3. On what legal ground(s) do we process your personal data?
4. Which personal data do we collect and further process?
5. How long do we keep your personal data?
6. How do we protect and safeguard your personal data?
7. Who has access to your personal data and to whom is it disclosed?
8. What are your rights and how can you exercise them?
9. Contact information
10. Where to find more detailed information?

Introduction

The European Commission (hereafter ‘the Commission’) is committed to protect your personal data and to respect your privacy. The Commission collects and further processes personal data pursuant to Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 October 2018 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data by the Union institutions, bodies, offices and agencies and on the free movement of such data (repealing Regulation (EC) No 45/2001).

This privacy statement explains the reasons for the processing of your personal data, the way we collect, handle and ensure protection of all personal data provided, how that information is used and what rights you have in relation to your personal data. It also specifies the contact details of the responsible Data Controller with whom you may exercise your rights, the Data Protection Officer and the European Data Protection Supervisor.

The information in relation to the processing operation of the "DG MARE EU Fleet Register" undertaken by DG MARE/C4 - Data Management Unit is presented below. The goal of the processing aims at creating and maintaining the Union fishing fleet register which is a necessary tool for implementing the rules of the Common Fisheries Policy. That register should contain information and characteristics of all Union fishing vessels.

Why and how do we process your personal data?

Purpose of the processing operation: The data controller stores and uses your personal data to establish the EU fleet register. The maintenance of the register is required by Union law and the information contained therein allows the different administrations (Commission and Member States authorities) to contact the concerned owners, operators, masters, agents and beneficial owners of fishing vessels for control purposes.

The data hold in the vessel register is also necessary for the management of the Fishing authorisations database the Commission has to provide in line with Article 39 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 – to obtain fishing authorisations from regional fisheries management organisations or third state countries.

Personal data might also be used for cross-checks to verify requests for EU funding.

Your personal data is communicated electronically to the Commission by the Flag state (Member States or third countries) authorities.

Your personal data will not be used for an automated decision-making including profiling.

On what legal ground(s) do we process your personal data?

We process your personal data, because:

1. processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in the Union institution or body;
2. processing is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which the controller is subject.

The basis for the processing referred to in points (a) and (b) has been laid down in Article 24(3) of Regulation (EU) No 1380/2013 on the Common Fisheries Policy and Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2017/218 of 6 February 2017 on the Union fishing fleet register and Article 39 of Regulation (EU) 2017/2403 in connection with Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/38. The Commission also needs to verify vessel owners and operators data in connection with its obligations under Article 7 Regulation (EU) 2021/1060 (Common Provisions Regulation - CPR) in connection with Article 63 of the Financial Regulation (EU) 2024/2509 and Article 104 CPR.

Which personal data do we collect and further process?

In order to carry out this processing operation, the Data Controller, i.e. DG MARE/C4 collects the vessel identifiers (CFR, IMO/UVI and IRCS numbers) and the following categories of personal contact data of vessel owners, operators, masters, agents and beneficial owners:

• Name and surname;
• Contact details (e-mail address, telephone number, fax number, postal address).

Data will be collected for all Union fishing and non-fishing vessels, as well as third state fishing and non-fishing vessels which are operating in Union waters. We have obtained your personal data from your flag states’ administrations.

How long do we keep your personal data?

The Data Controller, i.e. DG MARE/C4, only keeps your personal data for the time necessary to fulfil the purpose of collection or further processing. Namely, personal data on a Union fishing vessels is kept as long as the vessel is active. It will be deleted 30 years after the exit of the vessel from the Union fleet. Data on other vessels are deleted immediately after the vessel is reported as inactive.

How do we protect and safeguard your personal data?

All personal data in electronic format (e-mails, documents, databases, uploaded batches of data, etc.) is stored on the servers of the European Commission. All processing operations are carried out pursuant to the Commission Decision (EU, Euratom) 2017/46 of 10 January 2017 on the security of communication and information systems in the European Commission.

In order to protect your personal data, the Commission has put in place a number of technical and organisational measures in place. Technical measures include appropriate actions to address online security, risk of data loss, alteration of data or unauthorised access, taking into consideration the risk presented by the processing and the nature of the personal data being processed. Organisational measures include restricting access to the personal data solely to authorised persons with a legitimate need to know for the purposes of this processing operation.

Who has access to your personal data and to whom is it disclosed?

Access to your personal data is provided to the Commission staff responsible for carrying out this processing operation and to authorised staff of the Commission and Member States administrations according to the “need to know” principle. Such staff abide by statutory, and when required, additional confidentiality agreements.

Currently any personal data is not transfer to other recipients, especially in third countries directly from the Fleet system. However, that data is transferred to another MARE system (LICENCE) for fishing authorisations management purposes. From this data base, personal data might be transferred to third countries or RFMOs with regard to obligations necessary to obtain fishing authorisations. For the details to this transfer, please see the respective record, DPR-EC-02749 on the fishing authorisation data base.

Transfer of vessel identifiers is made to the FAO, where such transfer is necessary to comply with the international obligations of the Union, especially under the Agreement to promote compliance with international conservation and management measures by fishing vessels on the high seas, in line with Council Decision 96/428/EC of 25 June 1996, on acceptance by the Community of this Agreement.

Under certain circumstances, if the vessel is owned by a natural person, these identifiers could be personal data. Transfer to the FAO takes place on the basis of the derogation set out in Article 50(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.

Please note that pursuant to Article 3(13) of the Regulation, public authorities (e.g. Court of Auditors, EU Court of Justice) which may receive personal data in the framework of a particular inquiry in accordance with Union or Member State law shall not be regarded as recipients. The further processing of those data by those public authorities shall be in compliance with the applicable data protection rules according to the purposes of the processing.

The information we collect will not be given to any other third party, except to the extent and for the purpose we may be required to do so by law.

What are your rights and how can you exercise them?

You have specific rights as a ‘data subject’ under Chapter III (Articles 14-25) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, in particular the right to access, your personal data and to rectify them in case your personal data are inaccurate or incomplete. Where applicable, you have the right to erase your personal data, to restrict the processing of your personal data, to object to the processing, and the right to data portability.

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal data, which is lawfully carried out pursuant to Article 5(1)(a) and (b) on grounds relating to your particular situation.

You can exercise your rights by contacting the Data Controller, or in case of conflict the Data Protection Officer. If necessary, you can also address the European Data Protection Supervisor. Their contact information is given under Heading 9 below.

Where you wish to exercise your rights in the context of one or several specific processing operations, please provide their description (i.e. their Record reference(s) as specified under Heading 10 below) in your request.

Contact information

• The Data Controller
  If you would like to exercise your rights under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, or if you have comments, questions or concerns, or if you would like to submit a complaint regarding the collection and use of your personal data, please feel free to contact the Data Controller, MARE/C4 at MARE-DATA-MANAGEMENT@ec.europa.eu.
• The Data Protection Officer (DPO) of the Commission
  You may contact the Data Protection Officer (DATA-PROTECTION-OFFICER@ec.europa.eu) with regard to issues related to the processing of your personal data under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.
• The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS)
  You have the right to have recourse (i.e. you can lodge a complaint) to the European Data Protection Supervisor (edps@edps.europa.eu) if you consider that your rights under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 have been infringed as a result of the processing of your personal data by the Data Controller.

Where to find more detailed information?

The Commission Data Protection Officer (DPO) publishes the register of all processing operations on personal data by the Commission, which have been documented and notified to him. You may access the register via the following link: http://ec.europa.eu/dpo-register.