Data protection has become an important issue for the translation and interpreting (T&I) profession following the introduction of the GDPR in May 2018. The GDPR has introduced rules intended to bring order to the data processing arena, but lack of uniform interpretation of these rules across Europe causes a lot of confusion for the T&I profession. Many sets of instructions, guidelines and model documents have been published and a mass of information on the GDPR is freely available on the internet. However, most of the proposed solutions are general in nature and do not take into account the specific needs of translators, interpreters and Language Service Providers (LSPs).
There is therefore an urgent need for specific guidelines for the T&I profession. These guidelines should answer major questions about the procedures and formalities connected with data processing in the translation sector and propose best practices. They should encompass the whole T&I process and every link in the supply chain, from the end client to the translator and interpreter, as well as LSPs.
As translators and interpreters very often work in cross border contexts and guidelines for data protection differ significantly from country to country, it is advisable that common guidelines be drafted on a European level. This will allow translators, interpreters and LSPs to apply uniform standards, fully protecting not only the rights and freedoms of the data subject, but also the interests of all actors in the T&I profession.
Raisa McNab, CEO of EUATC founding members the Association of Translation Companies, will represent the EUATC in consortium
A consortium of European organisations representing the T&I sector, led by FIT Europe, has initiated a project to draft common European GDPR guidelines for the translation and interpreting professions. In cooperation with the DGT Field Office in Poland and with the financial support of DG Translation a Translating Europe Workshop with an innovative character will be organized. A series of expert working meetings will be held in order to prepare a uniform opinion on the most important issues concerning data protection in the T&I sector. The results of the working meetings will then be presented at an online conference in the spring of 2022 and published in a report.
Organizer: DGT Field Office Poland, FIT Europe
Full list of project partners: EUATC, FreeLING Foundation, Lublin Translators Association LST, Polish Society of Sworn and Specialized Translators TEPIS, Polish Translation Industry Employers Association POLOT, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, Dublin City University
