This privacy statement explains the reason for the processing, the way the European Ombudsman (EO) collects, handles and ensures protection of all personal data provided, how that information is used and what rights you may exercise in relation to your data.

The controller is the European Ombudsman. The user-centered design agency ‘Namahn’ is the processor of the data. 

We use EU Survey to collect the data. EU Survey is a platform set up by the European Commission. You can find its data privacy statement here: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/home/privacystatement

1. Which personal data do we process?

The survey is not meant to collect any personal data as we are primarily looking for anonymous responses. There are only two scenarios where personal data may be collected: 1) if you provide personal data in any of the “free text” boxes, and 2) if you provide your e-mail address voluntarily in case you accept that we contact you further. We therefore may process the following personal data: email address; job type. Any personal data you include in the 'free text' boxes will be disregarded for the purpose of our website analysis.

2. Why do we process your data?

We process your data for the purpose of improving the usability and user-friendliness of our website. Namely, we wish to understand why our users visit the Ombudsman’s website, whether they find the information they are looking for, and if they have a favourable opinion of the website.

We may use the email address you provided to contact you for more information about your use of the website.  

3. What are the legal bases and necessity for processing your personal data?

We process your data on the basis of your consent according to Regulation 2018/1725. Our contractor Namahn processes the data as a processor according to Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR).

We will keep the email addresses we collect for the sole purpose of contacting users and inviting them to answer additional questions, be it via a survey or an online interview.

4. Who is responsible for processing the data?

As Controller:

European Ombudsman, 1 avenue du Président Robert Schuman, CS 30403, F-67001 Strasbourg Cedex.

The Communication Unit of the Ombudsman is responsible for this project.

As processor:

Namahn bv/sp, Grensstraat / Rue de la limite 21, 1210 Brussels, Belgium

5. Who will be recipients of the data?

The data is processed for internal use only by the European Ombudsman and by our processor, Namahn. We will not share your data with any other third party.

6. How long do we keep your data?

We will keep your data for no longer than six months after we close the survey. This is the time necessary to contact you as a follow-up to the form you submitted, within the scope of this project.

All other data we collected will be anonymised and will be kept indefinitely, for statistical and analysis purposes.

7. How do we protect your data?

The electronic files containing your personal data are only accessible to staff of the Communication Unit of the European Ombudsman (Controller) and Namahn (Processor).

8. What are your rights and how can you exercise them?

You have the right of access to your own personal data and to relevant information concerning how the EO uses it.

You have also a right to request rectification of any incomplete or inaccurate data concerning you. You can rectify identification data at any time. You have a right to object to the use of your data by the EO on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time. Under certain conditions, you have the right to ask that the EO deletes your personal data or restrict its use. You have the right to withdraw your consent.

The EO will reply to your requests as soon as possible and within one month at the latest.

9. Who to contact in case of queries or complaints concerning data protection issues?

At any time, you may send data protection related questions concerning the management of the training requests to the European Ombudsman, at the following address:

European Ombudsman
1 avenue du Président Robert Schuman
CS 30403
F-67001 Strasbourg Cedex
https://www.ombudsman.europa.eu/en/contacts

You can contact our contractor, Namahn, at the following address:

Namahn bv/sp
Grensstraat / Rue de la limite 21
1210 Brussels
Belgium
nma@namahn.com

You also may contact the Data Protection Officer of the EO office at the following address: DPO-Euro-Ombudsman@ombudsman.europa.eu

You may lodge a complaint with the European Data Protection Supervisor at any time at the following address: https://www.edps.europa.eu/data-protection/our-role-supervisor/complaints/edps-complaint-form_en