Project number: 101072630, Citizenship, Equality, Rights and Values Programme
Call: CERV-2021-DATA, Topic: CERV-2021-DATA
Granting authority: European Commission-EU
Project duration: 24 months, 2 September 2022 - 1 September 2024
4 Work packages, 15 deliverables
GRANT AMOUNT: 360 514.43 EUR
TOTAL COSTS: 400 571.62 EUR
COORDINATOR: AGENCIJA ZA ZAŠTITU OSOBNIH PODATAKA (AZOP)- CROATIAN PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION AGENCY
BENEFICIARIES: GARANTE PER LA PROTEZIONE DEI DATI PERSONALI (GARANTE PRIVACY), FACULTY OF INFORMATICS AND ORGANISATION (FOI), VRIJE UNIVERSITY BRUXELLES (VUB), UNIVERSITY OF FLORENCE (UNIFI)
Small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a key role in the European economy. These enterprises are often described as the backbone of the economy as they constitute the majority of businesses in Europe, contribute significantly to the gross domestic product, and create a large portion of jobs. In order to support SMEs, the European Union continuously implements various initiatives, funding programs, and policies aimed at strengthening the capacities of small businesses and promoting their growth and competitive position.
The goal of the EU co-funded ARC2 project is to facilitate entrepreneurs in complying with the General Data Protection Regulation, reduce administrative burden and financial costs, and help them realize that aligning with data protection regulations will enhance their business operations and enable them to build a relationship of trust with their customers/clients.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) stands as the most comprehensive law governing the collection and processing of personal data of EU citizens. It facilitates the free movement of personal data within the EU, thereby bolstering the data economy through the seamless cross-border exchange of data while safeguarding the fundamental rights of individuals. Despite more than six years since its enforcement, many SMEs continue to grapple with GDPR compliance. Hence, there exists a pressing need for the development of practical guidance and digital tools that can be easily replicated in other Member States, tailored to meet the specific needs of SMEs and streamline their implementation of GDPR obligations.
The ARC II project is squarely positioned to tackle these pressing issues, with the ARC II Consortium committed to:
1) Creating "Olivia," an open-source, freely accessible, interoperable, and innovative digital tool tailor-made to the needs of Croatian and Italian SMEs
2) Hosting 20 GDPR workshops in Croatia and 20 in Italy where SMEs can receive hands-on assistance to address their individual GDPR compliance challenges.
3) Launching an awareness campaign in Croatian and Italian media targeting SMEs and the general public, alongside the development of educational materials and 10 informative videos.
4) Organizing 2 validation workshops.
5) Hosting 2 international conferences in Zagreb and Rome to disseminate the project's outcomes.
6) Running a social media campaign to promote the digital tool Olivia and encourage its adoption by SMEs.
7) Crafting a Handbook on personal data protection tailored for SMEs.
The overarching goal of the ARC II project is to enhance knowledge and comprehension among SMEs regarding their GDPR obligations within the Italian and Croatian data protection legal frameworks. The project aims to deliver a GDPR compliance digital tool developed in open-source code, enabling all data protection authorities (DPAs) to customize it to their national legislation and language. Ultimately, SMEs across the EU stand to benefit from the tangible outcomes of the ARC II project.