Privacy statement

This privacy statement describes how the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation processes your personal data.

This privacy statement describes how the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation processes your personal data.

This page may be updated. We advise you to check occasionally for any such updates.

  1. Who is the data controller?
  2. Why do we process your personal data?
  3. What personal data is processed?
  4. On what basis is the personal data processed?
  5. Who is your personal data shared with?
  6. How long is your personal data stored?
  7. How is your personal data kept secure?
  8. What are your rights and how can you exercise them?


1. Who is the data controller?

The FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation, represented by the members of the Board of Directors, each for their own directorate, is the data controller for personal data within the framework of its missions.


2. Why do we process your personal data?

The personal data processing operations covered by this general privacy statement are as follows:

  • Your visits to the pages of the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation website. In your browser, these pages begin with "https://diplomatie.belgium.be". When a link takes you to another website, portal, application, online application or social network, you should refer to the personal data processing conditions of these services;
  • Your use of our contact forms;
  • Your information through our newsletters;
  • The performance of our legal or public interest missions.


3. What personal data is processed?

We only process personal data:

  • That is necessary for the performance of our legal or public interest missions,
  • That allows us to answer your questions and/or provide you with information,
  • That allows us to provide you with a high-performance website.

The FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation may process the following categories of personal data:

  • Identification data: surname, first name, date of birth, passport number, IP address, etc.,
  • Contact details: postal address, e-mail address, telephone number, etc.,
  • Family situation: marital status, number of children, etc.,
  • Data relating to your interactions with us via our website, telephone calls, e-mail exchanges, etc.,
  • Video surveillance data when you visit our offices,
  • Physical and/or mental health data.


4. On what basis is the personal data processed?

The FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation processes your personal data on one of the following bases:

  • Compliance with a legal obligation,
  • The performance of a public interest mission,
  • Your consent.


5. Who is your personal data shared with?

Your personal data may be shared with other Belgian public authorities (FPS, federated authorities, judicial bodies, police services, etc.). This information is shared solely to enable them to carry out their public interest missions or meet their legal obligations.

Your personal data may also be passed on to lawyers in the event of litigation.

In cases where the transfer of personal data is not based on a legal obligation or the performance of a public interest mission on the part of the recipient, or the defence of legal claims on our part, no data will be transferred without your consent.

Joint liability agreements and transfer framework protocols that must be published can be found on this page.

If the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation needs to transfer your personal data outside the European Economic Area, this will only be done on the basis of a legal obligation and subject to the guarantees required by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).


6. How long is your personal data stored?

Like all federal authorities, the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation is subject to the archives legislation of 24 June 1955. For personal data processed to fulfil a legal obligation or carry out a public interest mission, an archiving table has been set up in collaboration with the State Archives of Belgium.

As a general rule, your personal data will not be kept longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.

Specific retention periods:

  • Your IP address: 12 months,
  • Cookies: 13 months,
  • Exchanges via the contact form and over e-mail: 1 month.

In exceptional cases, such as legal proceedings, your personal data may be stored for longer.


7. How is your personal data kept secure?

The FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation guarantees the security (integrity and confidentiality) of your personal data. In particular, the data is protected against unauthorised access, unlawful use, loss and unauthorised modifications.

To do this, we use security techniques and procedures that are not detailed on this page for security reasons.

However, the appropriate physical, technical and organisational measures are taken in order to ensure a level of security appropriate to the risks.


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

In accordance with Chapter 3 of the GDPR and subject to legal exceptions and derogations, you have various rights:

  • Right of access and to copies:

    You have the right to obtain confirmation that your personal data is being processed by the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation and, when it is being processed, access to the following information:
    • the purposes of the processing operation;
    • the basis for the processing operation;
    • the categories of personal data concerned;
    • the categories of recipients with whom your data has been shared, including the existence of appropriate safeguards for transfers outside the European Economic Area;
    • the retention period or the criteria used to determine this period;
    • the knowledge of whether the processing operation involves automated data processing.

You also have the right to obtain a copy of your personal data.

  • Right to rectification: you have the right to obtain the rectification of incorrect personal data or to request that incomplete data be supplemented.
     
  • Right to erasure: as the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation processes your personal data in order to comply with its legal obligations or to carry out its public interest missions, the right to erasure does not apply. However, this may apply in cases where the processing is based on your consent.
     
  • Right to restriction of processing: you may request the restriction of the processing of your personal data when you exercise your right to object, when you contest the accuracy of your data, when the processing is unlawful or when you need it for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
     
  • Right to object: you may object to the processing of your personal data if it is processed for the performance of a public interest mission by the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. However, the data controller may object to this right if there are legitimate and compelling reasons for the processing that override your interests, rights and freedoms or for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.
     
  • Right to portability: as the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation processes your personal data in order to comply with its legal obligations or to carry out its public interest missions, the right to portability does not apply.

In cases where the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation processes your personal data on the basis of your consent, you also have the right to withdraw your consent at any time.

All your requests to exercise your rights will be processed within 30 calendar days. If a request is complex or our departments have a large number of requests, this time limit will be extended by 60 days.

To exercise your rights, send an email or letter to our Data Protection Officer (DPO). You may be asked to prove your identity.

  • Via the contact form
  • E-mail address: dpo@diplobel.fed.be
  • Postal address:

    FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation
    For the attention of the Data Protection Officer (DPO)
    Services of the President
    Rue des Petits Carmes 15
    B-1000 Brussels

If you believe that the FPS Foreign Affairs, Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation has not processed your personal data in accordance with the regulations in force, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Data Protection Authority:

  • E-mail address: contact@apd-gba.be
  • Postal address:

    Data Protection Authority
    Rue de la Presse 35
    B-1000 Brussels