Data Protection

1.1 Fundamentals

ZEW’s online services are generally accessible without any requirements pertaining to personal information. Certain services (contact and information services, enrolment for events etc.) do require users to provide us with personal information. It is left to your discretion whether you decide to make use of these services.

Minors under the age of 18 should not share any of their personal data with us without prior permission from a parent or guardian.

The responsible party is the ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research, L 7, 1 68161 Mannheim

Phone +49/ (0)621-1235-01, Telefax +49/ (0)621-1235-255, E-mail: info@zew.de

Executive Directors: Professor Achim Wambach, PhD, and Thomas Kohl

You can reach our data protection officer, Dr. Thomas Wirth at the above address or via e-mail at: datenschutzbeauftragter@zew.de

1.2 Access protocols

When you access this website, information is sent automatically to our website server via the browser used on your device. This information is stored temporarily in what is known as a logfile. The following information is recorded without any action on your part and stored until it is deleted automatically:

• User IP address
• Access date and time
• Name and URL of the page accessed
• The website through which the page was accessed (referrer URL)
• The type of browser used and, if necessary, the operating system used on your computer as well as the name of your access provider.

This data is processed by us for the following purposes:

• Providing a smooth connection to our website,
• Ensuring that our website is user-friendly,
• Assessing the security and stability of our systems and
• Other administrative purposes.

We process your data in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f of the GDPR. Our interest in your data is legitimate based on the purposes of data processing listed above. The data is processed anonymously; individual user profiles are not being compiled.

In addition, we use cookies and analytical services when you visit our website. For further information, please refer to sections 3 and 4 in this commitment to data protection.

1.3 Contact and information services

We invite users to contact us with any question they might have via the contact forms or e-mail addresses provided on the website. In order to take advantage of this service, you must provide a valid e-mail address so that we know who the question is coming from and so that we can send you a response. This means that any personal data contained in the e-mail is stored by us. Any other information you provide is voluntary. In this case, none of your data will be passed on to third parties. Your data is used exclusively for the purpose of responding to your inquiry.

Data for the purpose of establishing contact is processed by us according to Art. 6 para. 1 p.1 lit. a of the GDPR, based on your freely given consent, i.e. in the form of sending an e-mail, in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 lit. f of the GDPR. If the goal of the e-mail communication is the execution of a contract, the processing of the data is also supported by Art. 6 para. 1 lit. b of the GDPR.

The personal data collected will be deleted as soon as it is no longer required to fulfil the purpose for which it was originally collected. In the case of personal data collected via an online contact form or sent via e-mail, this happens as soon as the conversation with the user comes to an end. The conversation can be seen to have come to an end when it is clear from the given circumstances that the issue being discussed has been definitively resolved.

We will not pass your personal data on to third parties for any other purpose than those listed below.

We only share your data with third parties if:

• you have given express permission for us to do so, according to Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. a of the GDPR,
• there is a legal requirement to do so, according to Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. c of the GDPR or
• this is legally permissible and required for the execution of contractual relationships, according to Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. b of the GDPR.

The ZEW website contains links to third party web pages. Clicking on such web links means you leave the ZEW website. These pages or their data protection policies (which may deviate from the ZEW standards) cannot be influenced by ZEW. We are not responsible for third party web page information or content. Any personal data you pass on to third parties is not regulated by the ZEW data protection policy. We therefore recommend that you read the data protection policy provided by each company carefully before passing on your personal data.

We use the tracking tool described in the following in accordance with Art. 6 para. 1 p.1 lit. f of the GDPR. We employ such tools in order to make continual improvements to our website and to ensure it remains user-friendly. We also use this tracking tool in order to statistically monitor and evaluate user traffic on our website with the aim of optimising the content we provide for you. These are considered legitimate interests under the legal regulation cited above. Online sessions and campaigns come to an end after a fixed period of time has passed.

This website uses the service “Google Analytics” offered by Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, Parent Company: Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA to analyse user behaviour on the website. The service uses “cookies”, which are text files placed on your device. Data collected by cookies is usually send to and stored on a US-based Google server.

IP anonymisation has been activated for this website. The IP address of users located in EU Member States or the European Economic Area will be shortened. The IP address is shortened in a way that a personal reference can no longer be established. Within the framework of the agreement on data processing between the website operator and Google Inc., Google Inc. will use the collected data to provide an analysis of user behaviour and activity on the website, in addition to providing services related to internet use.

You may refuse the use of cookies by selecting the appropriate settings on your browser. However, please note that if you do this, you may not be able to use the full functionality of this website.

A browser plug-in may prevent cookies from transferring collected data (including your IP address) to Google Inc. and your data being used by Google Inc. You can use the following link to find the required plug-in: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout?hl=de

For further information please refer to:

Website: https://marketingplatform.google.com/intl/de/about/analytics/;
Data protection policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy

Types of processing and data: https://privacy.google.com/businesses/adsservices;
Google ads data processing terms and standard contractual clauses for processors in third countries: https://business.safety.google/adsprocessorterms

ZEW employs technical and organisational security measures to protect the data we collect from incidental or deliberate manipulations, loss, destruction or unauthorised access. Our security measures are continually updated in line with the latest technological advances.

You have the right:

• to request information regarding the personal data we have stored on you in accordance with Art. 15 of the GDPR. In particular, you can request information regarding the purpose of the data collection, the type of personal data collected, the types of recipient your data has been or will be made available to, how long your data will be stored for, whether you have a right to amend or delete your data, restrict the processing of your data or to object to your data being stored, whether you have a right of complaint, the origin of your data (if this information has not been gathered by us) as well as whether automated decision-making including profiling was used and, if so, any relevant information gleaned from these processes;

• to request the immediate amendment of inaccurate personal data stored by us, in accordance with Art. 16 of the GDPR;

• to request the deletion of any personal data stored by us, as long as the processing of this data is not required under the right to freedom of speech and freedom of information, to fulfil a legal requirement, for reasons of public interest or for the assertion, exercise or defence of legal claims, according to Art. 17 of the GDPR;

• according to Art. 18 of the GDPR, to request that the processing of your personal be restricted in cases where the accuracy of the data is disputed by you personally, processing the data is illegal, but you refuse to have the data deleted and we no longer need it, though you require it for the assertion, exercise or defence of legal claims or you have filed an objection to the processing of your data under Art. 21 of the GDPR;

• to receive the personal data that you provide to us in a structured, commonly used machine-readable format or request that this data be sent to another responsible party, in accordance with Art. 20 of the GDPR;

• to withdraw your previously granted consent regarding the storage and processing of your data at any time under Art. 7 para. 3 of the GDPR. This means that we cannot continue processing the data originally provided with this consent in the future, and

• to file a complaint with the appropriate supervisory authority, according to Art. 77 of the GDPR. In most cases, you can contact the supervisory authority responsible for your usual place of residence or workplace or for our registered office.

Every newsletter or press release you receive also contains information on how to cancel your subscription. Once your subscription has been cancelled, your data will be deleted.

 Right of objection

If your personal data are being processed on the basis of legitimate interests according to Art. 6 para. 1 p. 1 lit. f of the GDPR, you have the right, under Art. 21 of the GDPR, to file an objection to your personal data being processed, as long as there are sufficient grounds based on your particular circumstances or the objection is targeted at direct advertising. In the latter case, you have a general right of objection without having to provide evidence of any special circumstances.

If you wish to exercise your right of revocation or of objection, simply send an e-mail to datenschutzbeauftragter@zew.de.

This commitment to data protection is currently valid as of April 2022.

ZEW reserves the right to revise this declaration on data protection in accordance with lawful regulations at any time. In the case of changes we will post the revised version of the declaration on the web so that you always have access to the most up-to-date valid version.