Privacy statement for accreditation, invitation, and registration of media contacts to press events

If you are a journalist and would like to attend ECB press events such as the monetary policy press conference, you must accredit yourself with the Directorate General Communications. This means that you must provide a copy of your passport/personal ID and your press ID, a photo, and a letter from your editor confirming your employment/assignment to the ECB. The accreditation documents must be provided at least 10 working days prior to the event. They will then be reviewed and processed by the ECB.

This privacy statement explains how the ECB processes, stores, and manages personal data obtained in this context.

What is our legal framework?

All personal data are processed in accordance with EU Union data protection law, i.e. in line with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.

Why do we process personal data?

Personal data are processed in order to facilitate your accreditation, invitation, and registration to ECB press events such as the monetary policy press conference as well as media briefings on specific topics. The processing of personal data is necessary to verify your employment as a journalist and to satisfy security requirements, including control and access to ECB premises. The personal data processing is mandatory. The personal data are collected to facilitate all communication and organisational activities in this context, including: the exchange of correspondence; sending e-mails, notifications, invitations and the relevant follow-up (which entails the management of contact lists for correspondence); online registration; processing of access badges; and plausibility checks.

What is the legal basis for processing your personal data?

Your personal data are processed by the ECB in the performance of a task carried out in the public interest, based on Article 5(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, in conjunction with Article 22 of the Rules of procedure of the European Central Bank (ECB/2004/2).

Who is responsible for processing your personal data?

The ECB is the controller for the processing of your personal data. The Directorate General Communications is responsible for this processing.

Who will be the recipients of your personal data?

The recipients of your personal data (including entities who have access to that personal data) are staff members from the Directorate General Communications, internal and external security staff members at the ECB, as well as staff members of other institutions such as the European Commission, National Central Banks or National Competent Authorities and/or international organisations such as the IMF, BIS, etc. organising events together with the ECB.

The actual accreditation documents are stored in a dedicated space in the ECB's Document and Records Management system (Darwin) and access to these documents is limited to a small number of experts from the ECB’s Directorate General Communications.

What categories of personal data are collected?

The ECB processes the following personal data obtained from you through exchange of email correspondence, accreditation documents, online registration:

• first and last name, title
• email address
• telephone number (landline and mobile)
• Twitter handle
• job title / function
• organisation
• postal address
• date of birth
• photo
• as well as additional personal data as indicated on your personal ID/passport and your press ID

Where are your personal data processed and stored?

Your data are/will be processed by the ECB and stored in an internal Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool, hosted on secure ECB servers located in Germany, as well as our internal Document and Records Management system as mentioned above and Outlook.

How long will the ECB keep personal data?

Your personal data will be stored for as long as you are accredited with the ECB and receive invitations to ECB press events such as the ECB press conference. If you no longer wish to receive invitations to ECB press events, you will be taken off the invitation list and your data will be deleted within three months following receipt of the request.

What are your rights?

You have the right to access your personal data and correct any data that are inaccurate or incomplete. You also have (with some limitations) the right to delete your personal data, to restrict or to object to the processing of your personal data in line with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725. The ECB may restrict your rights to safeguard the interests and objectives referred to in Article 25(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.

Who can you contact for queries or requests?

You can exercise your rights by contacting the ECB’s Directorate General Communications at media@ecb.europa.eu. You can also directly contact the ECB’s Data Protection Officer at dpo@ecb.europa.eu for all queries relating to your personal data.

Addressing the European Data Protection Supervisor

If you consider that your rights under Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 have been infringed as a result of the processing of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the European Data Protection Supervisor at any time.