Lithuanian Experience Highlighted at the Privacy Symposium Conference
At the international conference known as the Privacy Symposium, held on 12–16 May in Italy, Lithuania’s experience was among those presented. The Director of the State Data Protection Inspectorate (SDPI), Dijana Šinkūnienė, took part in a discussion group on the topic ‘Enabling Medical Research: Legal Basis for the Secondary Use of Data in Medical Research’. She shared Lithuania’s experience and engaged with other EU data protection experts on ensuring a balance between privacy and the public interest in medical research.
She stated: “Lithuania has established good practices that serve as a model for other countries. For instance, the Law on the Secondary Use of Health Data was adopted in Lithuania as early as 2021. By exchanging good practices, countries can more easily adopt innovations and, in some cases, avoid breaches of data protection requirements. The effective sharing of experience not only strengthens the protection of human rights but also supports the advancement of innovation.”
During the discussion, it was emphasised that the data subject’s consent is not always the most suitable legal basis for processing personal data for the purposes of scientific research and innovation. To fully leverage the potential of Article 9(2) of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) for scientific research and other significant areas of public interest, it is essential to adopt clear legal provisions that safeguard the fundamental rights and interests of individuals.
The practical implementation of such legal provisions is closely linked to the development of secure technical infrastructure. Lithuania adopted the Law on the Secondary Use of Health Data in 2021 and has since taken the necessary steps to provide technical support.
The discussion also addressed the challenges and opportunities in balancing the public interest in using health data for scientific research and innovation with the need to ensure robust protection of personal data.
Last updated: 23-05-2025
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