* [The Italian Law was provided toInternational Legal Materials and translated by Richard H. Dreyfuss, New York Bar. ® 1997 Richard H. Dreyfuss. Law No. 675 of December 31, 1996, The Protection of Individuals and Other Persons with Respect to the Processing of Personal Data, appears at Gazz. Uff., 8 gennaio 1997, n.5, suppl. ord. n.3; Lex LXXXIII, part I, 548 (1997). The text reproduced here is a translation of the statute as modified by Legislative Decree No. 123 of May 9, 1997, Gazz. Uff., 10 maggio 1997, n.107, and by Legislative Decree No. 255 of July 28, 1997, Gazz. Uff., 5 agosto 1997, n.181. The amendments are in bold type.[On October 24, 1995, the European Parliament and the Council adopted Directive 95/46/EC on the Protection of Individuals with Regard to the Processing of Personal Data and on the Free Movement of Such Data, 1995 O.J. (L 281) 31. The directive creates a harmonized framework of rules in the data protection area and creates a Working Party for the Protection of Individuals with regard to the Processing of Personal Data. Composed of representatives of national independent authorities, the Working Party will transmit an annual report on the current situation regarding the protection of natural persons regarding the processing of personal data in the European Community and in third countries to the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council. It will also foster an harmonious approach in the application of directive principles and advise the European Commission on data protection matters.

[It appears that, so far, only Greece and Italy have approved data protection laws on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data. The Greek data protection law was approved by the Hellenic Parliament on March 26, 1997, and was published on April 10, 1997.]