January 24 (SeeNews) - The European Commission said on Thursday that it has urged Bulgaria to implement EU rules on data protection.
Bulgaria had to transpose the data protection law enforcement directive by May 6, 2018, the Commission said in a statement.
The rules concern the citizens' right to data protection whenever criminal law enforcement authorities for law enforcement purposes use personal data and ensure that the personal data of victims, witnesses, and suspects of crime are duly protected.
"The introduction of similar data protection standards facilitates the exchange of personal data for cross-border cooperation in the fight against crime and terrorism," the Commission noted.
Bulgaria has two months to comply or the Commission may refer the country to the Court of Justice of the EU, which will decide whether Bulgaria is in breach of EU law.