The Austrian government has issued a decree (BGBl II 232/2003) in response to fears that a new system of private pension funds would have required hundreds of thousands of companies to register their employee data processing.

On 15 June 15 2001, the European Commission proposed Standard Contractual Clauses („Clauses“), to allow data transfers to third countries that do not ensure an adequate level of data protection. The Commission has summarised these Clauses in a model contract to be concluded between a data exporter and a data importer. This model contract is ready-to-sign; the contracting parties only have to add their name and address. Even an area for the company seal is reserved. The Clauses look as if they could be signed ‚blind‘. The following article shows that this may lead to worrying surprises later.

A recently published decree reminds data processors of their duty to keep their information in the Data Processing Register up to date, including information on themselves and on the nature of their processing activities.