EU Regulation Could Restrict Genealogical Research Throughout …

Access to old parish, local, and national vital records throughout Europe would be restricted immediately if a proposed European Union regulation on data protection is passed.

The Genealogical Society of Ireland’s secretary of the organisation, Michael Merrigan, said the EU proposed general data protection regulation requires public records held by the State, including public records at Ireland’s General Register Office, such as birth certificates, to be considered as personal information. “For data protection purposes, we could end up in a situation where genealogical, biographical, historical or even journalistic research will be in some way curtailed,” he said.

You can read more in the Irish Times at http://goo.gl/9pJYt.