Belgian Polar Platform

Personal data protection statement for users of this website

This privacy statement provides you with detailed information relating to the protection of your personal data for users and visitors of the website of the Federal Public Planning Service Science Policy (“Belspo”, ”we”) www.belspo.be. The main purpose is to inform you which categories of personal data we use, the reasons why we use and share such data, how long we keep it and how you can exercise your rights for this processing.

Belspo is data controller for the processing of your personal data referred to this statement. By using this website, you agree that your personal data will be processed in accordance with the provisions of this statement.

Your personal data are processed in accordance with the European Regulation 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 (entered into force on 25 May 2018) on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data (GDPR) and with the Belgian law of 30/07/2018 on the protection of the privacy with regard to the processing of personal data.

1. The purposes and lawfulness of the processing

By using this website, personal data is collected and processed in order to:

provide you with information;
answer your questions;

handle the files and records about you.

Data are also collected and processed:

for statistical and qualitative purposes ;
improve the quality of our services.

Belspo justifies the lawfulness of the use of your personal data in the framework of this processing by:

the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in Belspo (website browsing)
the consent you have given for the concerned processing (registration on the website or an event, subscription to a newsletter, publication of professional contact information on our website,..)

2. Processed data in the framework of this processing

Belspo collects and uses only personal data that are necessary in the framework of this processing. We are processing the following categories of data:

identification information (name, surname, IP address)
contact information (postal and/or e-mail address)
personal characteristics (gender, language)
employment information (function, organization/employer’s name)
data from your interactions with Belspo through our websites, our ICT applications, calls, e-mails, …

3. How do we collect your personal data?

The data may be collected when you are browsing this website or directly obtained from you when:

you voluntary complete an online registration form on this website ;
you are communicating with us via emails, forms or any other means of communication

4. Cookies

Cookies are small information files that are automatically recorded by your browser on your computer or mobile device, such as your choice of language on a website. For more information over how this website uses cookies, please consult our cookiespolicy.

5. Who does Belspo share your personal data with?

The data we process about you are treated as confidential by the concerned services of Belspo. They are transferred only to the institutions that are authorised to receive these data when required by law. Belspo will not disclose personal data to third parties for direct marketing purposes.
In some cases, Belspo calls on service providers who act as processors and are as such required to comply with the GDPR. When your personal data are communicated to subcontractors who perform processing on behalf of Belspo, we include, in our agreements with such subcontractors, the relevant clauses to protect the personal data, in particular, to ensure that these subcontractors:

are not permitted to use the data for any purposes other than those listed in this privacy statement ;
have appropriate security measures in place to protect itself against the unauthorised or unlawful processing of your personal data and against the accidental loss or destruction or deterioration of your personal data.

Any transfer of personal data outside the European Union will be carried out only with the guarantees required by the European Regulation on the Protection of Personal Data EU 2016/679.

6. Storage duration

The personal data are retained for a period not exceeding that necessary for the purposes for which it is processed in compliance with legal, regulatory, contractual or possibly imposed delays by a legal procedure as well as by provisions of the State Archives of Belgium. In exceptional circumstances, such as legal proceedings, your personal data may be stored for a longer period of time.

7. Security

Belspo guarantees the security (integrity and confidentiality) of your personal data. It is protected against unauthorised access, unauthorised use, loss and unauthorised changes.

To this end, Belspo uses security methods and procedures that we will not describe in detail here for security reasons.

Please note: appropriate physical, technical and organisational measures are taken to guarantee a level of security that is appropriate with regard to the risks.

8. What are your rights and how can you exercise them?

Right to access
You can obtain information relating to the processing of your personal data, and a copy of such personal data
Right to rectification
where you consider that your personal data are inaccurate or incomplete, you can require that such personal data be modified accordingly.
Right to object
You can object to the processing of your personal data, on grounds relating to your particular situation.
It is not possible for you to use your right of objection for the processing of personal data done by Belspo on a legal basis. If your personal data are processed in the framework of the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in Belspo, you can exercise your right of objection unless there are legitimate and compelling grounds for the processing which override your interests, rights and freedoms, or for the establishment, exercise or defense of legal claims.
Right to erase
Under certain grounds, you can require the deletion of your personal data unless the concerned processing is necessary for the compliance with a legal obligation or for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest or in the exercise of official authority vested in Belspo or for archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific or historical research purposes or statistical purposes.
Right to restriction of processing
You can request the restriction of the processing of your personal data when you exercise your right of objection, when you consider that your personal data are inaccurate, when their treatment is unlawful, or when you need it for the establishment, exercise or defense of your legal rights.
Right to withdraw your consent
where you have given your consent for the processing of your personal data, you have the right to withdraw your consent at any time. This right is exercised without prejudice to Belspo to invoke other legal basis justifying and making necessary the concerned processing.

Your application will be processed within 30 calendar days. If your application is complex or if our department has to deal with a large number of applications, that period may be extended by 60 days.

Please send an e-mail or letter to our Data Protection Officer together with a scanned copy or paper copy of your identity document containing your signature to the following address in order to exercise your rights:

By e-mail:
dpo@belspo.be

By post:
Public Planning Service Science Policy
Data Protection Officer - Chairman’s Services
WTC III
Simon Bolivarlaan 30 bus 7
Boulevard Simon Bolivar 30 bte 7
B-1000 Brussels

9. Complaints

If you consider that the Public Planning Service Science Policy has not processed your personal data in accordance with the applicable regulations, you are entitled to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Authority:

Data Protection Authority
Rue de la Presse 35
1000 Brussels
E-mail: contact@apd-gba.be

10. Contact

Should you need more information about our data protection policy, please contact our data protection officer:

By e-mail:
dpo@belspo.be

By post:
Public Planning Service Science Policy
Data Protection Officer - Chairman’s Services
WTC III
Simon Bolivarlaan 30 bus 7
Boulevard Simon Bolivar 30 bte 7
B-1000 Brussels

11. Update of this personal data protection statement

In a world of constant technological changes, we may need to regularly update this privacy statement: the latest version of this statement is the one available online or on demand.

- rev. 02/03/2020 -