ABSTRACT
The concept of privacy has been extensively addressed in both legal and philosophical writing. Despite the overwhelming amount of literature, the concept of privacy remains somewhat nebulous. There have been many attempts both in philosophical and legal literature to define the concept of privacy. The object of the EU Directive is the protection of the individual in relation to the processing of personal data. Privacy is closely related to other fundamental values such as dignity, integrity and autonomy. The title of the Directive is the 'Protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and the free movement of such data in their national laws'. Some scholars associate the right to privacy with the individual's right to informational self-determination. It is necessary to analyse the balancing of interests and the safeguards provided in national law to get a comprehensive picture of the importance attached to the protection of individual privacy in relation to biomedical research.
