European Union: European Commission opened consultation as part of impact assessment on retention of data by service providers for criminal proceedings

On 21 May 2025, the European Commission opened a consultation until 18 June 2025 to inform an impact assessment on data retention obligations for electronic communication service providers in the context of criminal proceedings. The initiative responds to concerns about the lack of harmonised EU-level rules requiring service providers to retain non-content metadata, such as subscriber data, IP addresses, and device location, for a limited period. The impact assessment will consider potential legislative and non-legislative options, with the aim of improving cross-border cooperation, legal certainty for providers, and access to electronic evidence while ensuring compliance with fundamental rights under EU law.