New study finds UK businesses are the most in shape and equipped when it comes to GDPR compliance.
With the General Data Protection Regulation being implemented in May this year, time is running out fast for organizations to be fully prepared and compliant. With the regulation laying the ground rules for protecting EU citizen data, W8 Data set out to find which country was the most well-prepared European country for GDPR. The survey was carried out amongst the top 10 European countries by GDP.
According to the findings, organizations in the UK topped the list, as most felt they were organized and ready when it came to GDPR compliance - with only 29% stating they were unprepared for the upcoming regulation. This makes for stark reading when compared to enterprises on mainland Europe.
Next were organizations in Germany, with nearly half (48%) of organizations lacking confidence in their preparation for the EU law. The worst prepared organizations were those found in Spain where an alarming 73% of enterprises stating they are unprepared for GDPR.
The full table of results are as followed:
Position |
Country |
% of Organizations |
1 |
UK |
29 |
2 |
Germany |
48 |
3 |
Poland |
52 |
4 |
Austria |
53 |
5 |
France |
54 |
6 |
Benelux |
59 |
7 |
Russia |
59 |
8 |
Italy |
63 |
9 |
Sweden |
71 |
10 |
Spain |
73 |
As the results show, the UK is leading the way and this has been helped by there being a better understanding towards what is required for the regulation. However, it’s difficult to fathom why the rest of mainland Europe is struggling in its preparation for GDPR. Nevertheless, there is still time for organizations to start the required Data Protect Impact Assessments checks which will identify and address any risks and issues that could potentially hinder your organization’s chances of being GDPR compliant.
The rules are clear: come May 2018, any data processed should be done so lawfully and transparently.
Further reading:
It’s the final countdown to GDPR