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Privacy Policy

The Trade Promotion Europe (TPE) was founded on 31st October 2018 with a mission to promote the interests of European Trade Promotion Organisations (TPOs) towards the European institutions and other competent authorities.

Its mission is to engage in a constant dialogue with European and other organisations on Trade Promotion and to advocate close cooperation between all actors involved in supporting the internationalization of enterprises, with a focus on SME’s.

TPE  takes your privacy seriously. It is committed to maintain the highest level of protection when processing your personal data; In compliance with the applicable national and European legislation on personal data protection and for purposes of transparency, please find here under some useful information on our association’s data protection policy:

1) Who we are

TPE is the Controller of your personal data. You can communicate with us via telephone, email, as well as via post.

Our contact details are the following:

8/F, Zenith building, Boulevard du Roi Albert II 37, 1030 Brussels, Belgium

Email: secretariat@tradepromotioneurope.eu

2) Information we may hold and why

TPE processes personal data that concern natural entities, legal entities, or natural entities acting on behalf of a legal entity (e.g. legal representative of an association or an agency or an institution or a company, etc.).

The information we collect, and process, as the case may be, may include:

  • name and surname,
  • occupation,
  • capacity,
  • nationality,
  • professional address,
  • email,
  • phone,
  • fax,
  • identity card or passport number,
  • tax identification number,
  • ΙΒΑΝ

The information that we process may concern:

a) any person that contacts TPE and voluntarily submits his/her personal information in order to:

  • Receive information on issues that are within the Association’s scope of services,
  • Participate in business meetings,
  • Participate in seminars / workshops / conferences whether in Belgium or other countries,
  • Participate in trade fairs / expos / any other similar event for the promotion of products and services,
  • Receive services that are available online on the TPE website
  • Receive newsletters regarding activities, actions and any other initiatives / projects of TPE.

b) Businesses

c) Suppliers and external collaborators

d) Any third party, with which TPE comes into contact during the implementation of its activities, such as diplomats, institutions and reporters.

e) Users of the website: Apart from the information submitted voluntarily by the above persons in the website of TPE, certain types of information is collected for the website users, such as information regarding the devices (including the type of navigation program and the IP address) and information regarding the server of the recording document of the accessibility of the website of TPE.

3) How do we collect your personal data?

In most cases, the personal data is provided by you directly, either in writing, including by electronic means, or orally, for the objectives mentioned analytically below under [6], such as for example, when you:

  • Fill in and submit the electronic application for joining TPE or any online communication which is available on the website of TPE.
  • Send an email to TPE.
  • Communicate by phone with TPE.
  • Fill in your personal data in RSVP of events of TPE.
  • Provide to TPE in the form of your business card.
  • Enter into a contract with TPE.
  • Provide to TPE your personal data with a view of receiving updates, information or newsletters.
  • Browse the TPE website.
  • Participate in a meeting or webinar organised by TPE, through the recording of the meeting or webinar.
  • Furthermore, TPE may collect personal data from third parties, such as external collaborators, Ministries, Embassies, EU Institutions within the context of its scope of services. This information is collected in the context of TPE’s mandate and in these cases, TPE makes every possible effort to ensure the highest level of protection when processing your personal data.

4) Legal Basis for data processing

TPE processes the aforementioned personal data:

  1. In compliance with legal requirements, and/or
  2. for the performance of a task carried out within the scope of TPE’s activities, and/or
  3. for the purposes of the legitimate interests pursued by TPE, and/or
  4. for the performance of a contract to which TPE is a party, and/or
  5. when the data subject has given consent to the processing of his/her personal data for one or more specific purposes, as for example for receiving newsletters, for the participation to business meetings, training seminars for exporters, promotion exhibitions and other related events.

5) Purpose of data processing

TPE processes personal data for at least one of the following purposes:

  • To support its members.
  • To provide information and support to European exporters.
  • To participate/ bid or evaluate EU projects.
  • To organize business meetings and missions.
  • To organize business meetings and trips for purposes related to its activities.
  • To participate / organize international / multilateral / bilateral promotion programs / projects.
  • To collaborate with suppliers and/or service providers of TPE and execute relevant contracts (works/supply/services contracts). 
  • To organize press conferences.
  • To archive the minutes of the meetings held by the Secretariat of TPE.
  • To inform about actions and initiatives undertaken by TPE.

6) How long we retain your personal information

We retain your personal data only for as long as it is needed in order to fulfill TPE’s objectives set out in this Privacy Policy and/or in order to comply with applicable law.

7) How we use «cookies»

Cookies are small pieces of data that are stored by your browser on your computer’s hard drive, mobile phone or any other device used to access the internet. TPE uses cookies to customize the website and improve your experience with the site. Cookies store anonymous information, such as whether you viewed the site from your mobile device, when or from which IP address. Cookies are stored on your computer/device only after you have been informed about privacy settings and you have given your consent to each category thereof. Third parties providing technical support services on the website of TPE may have access to this information.

8) Sharing your personal data

TPE may share your personal data in the course of its activities with the following categories of third parties located within European Union:

  • EU institutions.
  • The competent TPE Committees.
  • Members.
  • European companies.
  • Companies that undertake the organization of training seminars.
  • Other third parties (for example providers of IT services, legal and financial advisers, external auditors).
  • Third parties that provide auditing services.
  • These third parties may access your personal data only if and when required to perform tasks assigned by TPE that include the processing of your personal data.

In addition to the parties listed above, TPE may disclose your personal data when it is necessary to satisfy any applicable law, regulation, legal process or governmental request.

9) Transfer of personal data to third countries/international organizations

TPE may transfer personal data to third parties located outside the European Economic Area (“EEA”) for the fulfillment of the aforementioned purposes. Such transfer takes place under the condition that the third country in question offers an adequate level of data protection, and the recipients of personal data comply therewith.

Exceptionally in cases where no adequate level of data protection is ensured, TPE may transfer personal data only when the suitable safeguards are provided, such as a legally binding and enforceable instrument between public authorities or bodies, or standard data protection clauses adopted by the Commission. In the absence thereof, TPE may transfer personal data only in specific circumstances, when for instance the data subject has explicitly consented to the proposed transfer after having been informed and according to the provisions set forth by law.

10) Data subject rights

Pursuant to the current legal framework on the protection of personal data, you are entitled to exercise the following rights by filling out and sending to our Data Protection Officer / Head of Secretariat a specific form that is sent to you upon request:

  • The right to access, correct or update your personal data at any time. This right can be exercised under the condition that there is no risk of disclosing confidential information protected by law or by nature as such.
  • The right to object the use of your personal data unless there is an overriding public interest that requires the processing activity.
  • The right to restrict the use of your personal data, under the condition that personal data is not processed for purposes of public interest, legal compliance or contractual performance.
  • In case where the processing of your personal data is based exclusively on your consent, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time without any detriment, and without prejudice to the retention period that may be required for purposes of public interest or in compliance with applicable law.
  • Similarly, you are entitled to ask the erasure of your personal data, under the condition that such deletion is technically feasible, and the personal data is not processed for purposes of public interest, legal compliance or contractual performance. In case where data deletion cannot be satisfied for technical reasons, you are entitled to the right to restrict the use of your personal data.
  • You have the right to data portability, according to which you can ask to receive your personal data so that you can transfer them to another organization, without prejudice to the applicable data retention period that is required by law and/or for purposes of public interest.
  • In case where you are dissatisfied with how TPE processes your personal data, you are entitled to submit a complaint before the Belgian Data Protection Authority https://www.dataprotectionauthority.be/ or the European Data Protection Board https://www.dataprotectionauthority.be/art-29-wp. In case you wish to submit a complaint before TPE for any issue regarding the processing of your personal data, you may do so by sending an email to secretariat@tradepromotioneurope.eu.

11) External links

Some hyperlinks on our website refer to contents that are useful for exporters and relevant institutions; such contents are related inter alia with European and state bodies, associations, chambers, international and national organizations. Those hyperlinks are provided solely for the convenience of stakeholders, and in no case can TPE be held responsible neither for their content nor for the privacy practices applicable thereto. Should the website user wish to use any third party websites, he/she acknowledges his/her own responsibility in this regard.

12) Promotional material 

TPE sends invitations and updates (newsletters) regarding its activities, events and initiative to those that have consented thereto. In case where recipients wish to stop receiving such information, they have the right to unsubscribe at any time and without any detrimental effect.

13) Social media

This website contains social media icons leading to the respective accounts operated by TPE (LinkedIn). The information that you decide to publish through those applications is not subject to the present Privacy Policy, and TPE cannot be held responsible for the information you provide to such websites and social media platforms.

14) Updates to our Privacy Policy

Any changes we may make to our Privacy Policy in the future will be posted on TPE’s website. Such modification will become effective immediately upon posting without prior notice. Hence, we encourage you to periodically review this privacy policy to stay informed about how TPE processes personal data.

15) Contact

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact our Secretariat via email at secretariat@tradepromotioneurope.eu.

16) Security of personal data

We place high priority on the security of your personal data. We apply appropriate technical, administrative, electronic and physical safeguards to protect against foreseeable loss, unauthorized access, destruction, misuse, unauthorized modification and improper disclosure. We store data on servers that are placed in secure installations and we apply specific procedures for the storage and safety of data. Network traffic is monitored and filtered by a firewall system, and data is scanned by a state-of-the-art antivirus software.