PES-CoR Network Data Management
1. Introduction
The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) is committed to respecting and protecting your personal data in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 (EUDPR).
This data protection notice outlines how the Secretariat of the PES Political Group at the CoR processes your personal data in the context of its communications, events, and other CoR-related activities.
2. Who is responsible for the processing of personal data?
The CoR is responsible (as controller) for the processing of personal data.
The delegated controller is the Secretariat of the Political Group PES.
Contact details: PES-Group@cor.europa.eu.
3. What is the purpose of the processing?
The PES Group processes your personal data in order to support communication, coordination, and engagement across our political family. This includes activities within the CoR, as well as activities in cooperation with the wider socialist and social‑democratic network, such as the S&D Group in the European Parliament, PES member parties, and other partners.
We collect and process your personal data to:
- communicate with PES Group members, alternates, their teams, Young Elected Politicians (YEPs), Members of the European Parliament (MEPs), experts, moderators, and stakeholders involved in our statutory work;
- coordinate meetings, events, workshops, and political activities;
- manage participation in PES Group initiatives, including communication workshops, Local Dialogues, and thematic networks;
- collect information provided during events, registrations, subscription forms, and online engagement (including newsletter sign‑ups and social‑media‑related forms);
- ensure smooth communication with those responsible for communication within our members’ offices and delegations.
All data is processed in line with the applicable data‑protection framework governing the CoR.
4. What is the legal basis for the processing?
The processing of personal data is based on Article 5(1)(a) EUDPR, which provides that processing is lawful where it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in a Union institution or body.
Personal data relating to external individuals participating in activities organised by the PES-CoR in the context of its tasks are processed on the basis of Article 5(1)(d) of the EUDPR, which stipulates that processing is lawful where the data subject has given consent to the processing of his or her personal data for one or more specific purposes. Moreover, your consent serves as the legal basis for receiving our newsletter and updates about PES events after the end of your mandate, or whenever you choose to stay informed. Consent can be withdrawn at any time.
5. What personal data are processed?
We collect and process basic identification and contact details, including your full name, email address, general telephone number. These data points are needed to manage communication and coordination with PES Group members, alternates, their assistants, Young Elected Politicians (YEPs), experts, speakers, and other stakeholders involved in PES Group activities.
In addition to core contact data, we also process professional information such as political function (member or alternate), nationality, preferred working language (EN/FR/DE), CoR commission assignments, and involvement in bodies such as working groups, ARLEM, the CFAA, and joint consultative committees.
When individuals register for PES Group events (e.g., thematic conferences, Local Dialogues, communication workshops, the YEP programme, or speaker engagements), we may also collect additional details required for event organisation, such as preferred language or emergency contact information.
In the context of PES meetings and events, photographs may be taken for use on our website and social media platforms. Photographs may be taken during PES Group events for communication purposes. Participants are informed in advance, and may object or request that their image not be used by contacting the PES Secretariat advance at PES-Group@cor.europa.eu.
Please note that each social media platform acts as an independent data controller for any personal data it processes when you access and use its services. These platforms apply their own privacy policies and terms of use, which are separate from those of the CoR. We strongly encourage you to review the privacy policies of each platform to understand how your personal data is collected, used, and protected when interacting with their services.
In order to access and interact with the CoR’s content on social media platforms (such as by liking, sharing, or commenting on posts), you must first have an account with the respective platform and accept its terms of service and privacy policy. These terms are established independently by the platform and govern how your personal data is collected and processed. The CoR has no control over these platform-specific policies.
For highlevel PES Group events hosted in cooperation with institutional partners or with enhanced security requirements, participants may be asked to provide further identification information strictly necessary for accreditation. Such information may include full name, nationality, and identity document details, depending on the host institution’s security protocol. These requirements are determined externally and apply solely for access and security purposes.
Personal data are accessed only by authorised staff of the PES Group Secretariat and are never transferred to nonEU/EEA countries or international organisations.
6. Who are the recipients or categories of recipients of your personal data?
Your personal data are accessed exclusively by authorised staff of the PES Group Secretariat within the CoR. These staff members process the data strictly for the purposes of communication, coordination, and organisation of PES Group activities.
In the context of specific activities, your data may also be shared with:
- Event organisers, moderators, invited speakers, or participants, but only when necessary for the organisation of PES Group meetings, workshops, or events (e.g., inclusion on participant lists or speaker programmes).
- Journalists or media professionals, but only when an individual acts publicly on behalf of the PES Group (e.g., interviews or quotes in press materials).
- Where high‑level or co‑hosted events require institutional security checks or accreditation, identification details may be shared with the responsible host institution solely for access‑control purposes. Your personal data are not transferred to non‑EU/EEA countries or to international organisations.
7. Are your personal data transferred to a third country or international organisation?
Your personal data are not transferred to non‑EU/EEA countries or to international organisations.
8. How can you exercise your rights?
You have the right to access your personal data, to rectify any inaccurate or incomplete personal data, to restrict (under certain conditions) the processing of your personal data, to request the deletion of your personal data (if processed unlawfully) and, where applicable, the right to data portability. You have the right to object to the processing of your data on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time. You also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. Please note that withdrawal of consent will not have retroactive effect.
You can direct your queries to PES-Group@cor.europa.eu . Your query will be dealt with without undue delay and in any event within one month of receipt of the request. That period may be extended by two further months where necessary.
You have the right of recourse to the European Data Protection Supervisor (edps@edps.europa.eu) if you consider that your rights under the EUDPR have been infringed as a result of the processing of your personal data by the CoR.
9. How long are your personal data kept for?
We retain personal data for the duration of your role: for members and alternates, this corresponds to their mandate.
Participants in the Young Elected Politicians (YEP) programme take part in a year‑long cycle. After their participation, the PES Group may retain their basic contact details, but only with their explicit consent, and solely for the purpose of inviting them to future PES Group activities or related events within the wider political family. Consent can be withdrawn at any time, which will trigger the deletion of personal data.
To manage contacts, the PES Group Secretariat maintains internal distribution lists that include current members, alternates, assistants, and relevant stakeholders. These lists are updated continuously to reflect changes in mandates, roles, and participation in PES Group bodies.
For communication purposes such as newsletters or event updates, contact details may also be managed through a communication platform used by the PES Group. These platforms only use email addresses already collected by the PES Group and are stored securely for communication‑related activities.
With your explicit consent, we may retain your contact details (primarily email) after your mandate ends, for the purpose of sending PES event invitations and newsletters. The consent can be withdrawn at any time, which will trigger the deletion of personal data.
Personal data are retained only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which they were collected and are deleted when they are no longer required, unless the data subject has given specific consent for continued contact.
10. Are the personal data collected used for automated decision-making, including profiling?
No, the CoR will not use your personal data to make automated decisions about you. "Automated decisions" are defined as decisions made without human intervention.
11. Will your personal data be further processed for a purpose other than that for which data have been obtained?
No, your personal data will not be further processed for a different purpose.
12. Who do I contact if I have queries or complaints?
If you have any further questions about the processing of your personal data, please contact first of all the data controller using this email address: PES-Group@cor.europa.eu.
You may also contact the CoR data protection officer (data.protection@cor.europa.eu) and/or the European Data Protection Supervisor (edps@edps.europa.eu) at any time.