Тhe Project “Ensuring the Highest Degree of Privacy and Personal Data Protection through Innovative Tools for SMEs and Citizens — SMEDATA II” is co-funded by the European Commission under the Rights, Equality and Citizenship 2014-2020 Programme of the European Union.

Overview:

Project Objectives

The SMEDATA II Project aims at:

Ensuring the effective application of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) through awareness, multiplying training and sustainable capacity building for SMEs and legal professionals.
Assisting the understanding and compliance with GDPR through the upgrade of the mobile application “GDPR in Your Pocket”.

The project directly addresses the priority of the call to ensure the highest level of protection of privacy and personal data by supporting national Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) in raising awareness among business and citizens about the contemporary regulatory framework, thus establishing the necessary environment for the effective and uniform preparation for the implemented Data Protection Reform.

The SMEDATA II project, led by the Bulgarian DPA, continues the successfully implemented action SMEDATA I under the REC Programme and the already presented innovative approach for addressing simultaneously both business and citizens.

Planned Work Packages

The project offers a comprehensive methodology for increasing knowledge and understanding among business, in particular SMEs, about data protection rules by responding to the needs of capacity building and specialised information. The approach consists of three complimentary stages:

Work package 2: “Awareness and training”
Work package 3: “Upgrade of the Mobile Application”
Work package 4: “Dissemination and communication”.

Target Groups

Micro, small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – The definition of this target group is based on analysis and researches indicating that SMEs have neither contingency reserves, nor prepared work force for dealing with such enormous change as applying of new EU data protection rules. Concurrently, SMEs play a profound role in the economic development in all EU Member States. The greatest number of workers are employees of the SME entities.
Legal practitioners – This group includes legal professionals dealing with data protection issues in the context of SMEs, for example in the area of contract law, company law and administrative law. The representatives of this group play the key role of translating legal requirements into legitimate practical measures and procedures aimed at achieving compliance with the new regulatory framework. Their various kinds of activities create the necessary environment for the lawful implementation of GDPR provisions. Collaboration between them and the national data authorities is of a great importance for ensuring compliance with the GDPR requirements. In addition, most of the legal practitioners are more or less representatives of the biggest group of legal entities, namely small and medium enterprises.
Citizens – Since the primary objective of GDPR is to give individuals back control of their personal data, citizens are also targeted by the project. The proposed project activities are placing particular emphasis on ensuring that citizens are aware of and have acquired sufficient knowledge how to exercise effectively their rights as data subjects.

Expected Results

With the implementation of the project, consortium partners expect to achieve the following results:

Higher level of awareness about the new data protection rules among SMEs and citizens
Built capacity on data protection issues for the management and expert staff of associations and other bodies representing SMEs with multiplying effect for their members
Exchanged experience and best practices among project partners and the participants of the international conference organised within the project framework
Upgraded mobile application with enlarged legal content from France and Germany, new features and extended language coverage

Duration of the Project

The project duration is 18 months starting from 01.01.2021.