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The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has called upon independent research and analysis organisation RAND Europe to carry out an assessment of the European Data Protection law with a view to find avenues of reform.

According to the ICO, the European Data Protection law needs to be brought into the 21st Century, and consumers' rights need to be enhanced, as society becomes increasingly internet-dependent. The ICO hopes EU bodies, national governments and the data protection communities take heed of RAND Europe's recommendations to improve

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the privacy of personal information.

"We want to generate new thinking. European data protection law is increasingly seen as out of date, bureaucratic and excessively prescriptive. It is showing its age and is failing to meet new challenges to privacy, such as the transfer of personal details across international borders and the huge growth in personal information online," said Richard Thomas, UK information commissioner.

"It is high time the law is reviewed and updated for the modern world," he added.

Thomas claimed RAND Europe's research will help identify ways to make the law more straightforward and more effective in practice, yet less cumbersome for organisations. He revealed that European Commission has recently announced a study of its own, and expects the ICO's research to complement the overall impetus for reform.

"I also very much hope that the UK government will demonstrate leadership by engaging constructively in these reviews and supporting better regulation and practical approaches to international data protection."

The results of the assessment will be made public in Spring 2009.