Photo of Ulrich Wuermeling

Ulrich Wuermeling is a counsel in the Corporate Department of the firm’s Frankfurt office, where he also heads the Technology Transactions Practice Group. His work focuses on the negotiation of complex outsourcing, project, license and joint venture agreements and on counseling in M&A and finance transactions where technology issues are involved. Ulrich's clients predominantly come from the finance, technology, marketing or media sectors. One of his areas of expertise is privacy law. He obtained his Doctorate at the University of Würzburg on the subject "Trade Barrier Privacy" and has published numerous articles on privacy law.

Federal and State Privacy Commissioners in Germany demand that the introduction of smart meteriniStock_globe.jpgg systems shall be accompanied with adequate provisions for the protection of personal data. The introduction of smart metering systems controlling energy consumption is being pursued vigorously both at a European and a German level with the goal to improve energy efficiency. The Privacy Commissioners say that data privacy should be taken into account properly already during the research and development processes for the new technology.

On 4 November 2010, Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the European Commission, presented the plans for a reform of the existing European data privacy legislation. Reding demands strengthened rights for data subjects, a better harmonization of the internal market, a revision of the rulings concerning police cooperation and judicial cooperation, a guarantee for a high level of protection for the export of data and a more rigorous application of existing data privacy regulations. Reding hopes to achieve all this by reforming

iStock_Lock.jpgThe German Government does not see any need for them to take action with regard to the US-American “Safe Harbor” framework which has become subject to growing criticism. In a response to a query made by the SPD parliamentary group dated 25 October 2010 the Government refers the issue to the European Commission and the supervisory authorities of the German States. Following a study (“The US Safe Harbor – Fact or Fiction?”) by Chris Connolly (data privacy and