Terms of Use

Information on the processing of Personal Data by OPEKA

1. DATA CONTROLLER

The Organisation of Welfare Benefits and Social Solidarity (hereinafter OPEKA), with its registered seat at 30 Patision Street, 101 70 Athens (website https://opeka.gov.gr, switchboard: +30 2106241888), in application of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (hereinafter GDPR), other Union law and the relevant national legislation, informs those dealing with the Organisation, in its capacity as data controller, that it processes personal data within the scope of its competences, for the purpose of fulfilling its mission and in compliance with the applicable legal framework, and that it takes all the necessary technical and organisational measures for the secure processing of personal data, whether these are kept in digital or in printed form, so as to ensure in every way their protection against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or transfer, or any other unlawful processing.

2. PURPOSE AND LEGAL BASIS OF THE PROCESSING OF PERSONAL DATA

OPEKA processes personal data for the exercise of the competences conferred on it by law, for compliance with its legal obligations arising from national and Union law, and for the performance of tasks carried out in the public interest and in the exercise of official authority vested in it. OPEKA was established under the provisions of Law 4520/2018 and, in order to fulfil its mission, exercises the competences assigned to it by the supervising Ministry of Labour, Social Insurance and Social Solidarity, within the framework of combating social exclusion and safeguarding the rights of families, persons with disabilities, uninsured elderly persons, special and vulnerable population groups in general, and farmers (agricultural estate programmes).

The purpose of the processing of personal data by OPEKA is the fulfilment of the mission entrusted to it, and specifically:

• a) The granting of welfare benefits, allowances, financial aid and social services funded by the State Budget, for the financial support and social inclusion of families and of special and vulnerable groups of the population,
• b) The implementation, execution and management of programmes, actions and activities relating to the welfare policies of the Ministry of Labour, Social Insurance and Social Solidarity.
• c) The granting of benefits and services of a social, educational, cultural and recreational nature of the Agricultural Estate Account (LAE) under Law 3050/2002 (Government Gazette A’ 214).

3. CATEGORIES OF PERSONAL DATA COLLECTED BY OPEKA

OPEKA collects and generally processes identification data (such as full name, Identity Card Number, etc.), authorisation data (such as authorisations, powers of attorney, etc.), contact data (such as postal and e-mail address, telephone number, etc.), data on financial, property and family status (such as occupation, income, real estate, dependants, etc.), insurance data (AMKA, etc.), as well as special categories of data such as health data for the purpose of granting allowances, and also, in special cases provided for by law, data relating to criminal convictions and offences (such as, for example, the collection of information on the progress of criminal complaints concerning violations relating to our service). These data may belong not only to the person directly dealing with the Organisation but also to third parties (e.g. dependent children, etc., for the fulfilment of OPEKA’s purposes).

A. Collection of data while browsing the OPEKA website.

While browsing the OPEKA website, the following information is stored in log files for technical reasons:

• IP address (assigned to the device by the internet access provider for the connection). Every device that connects to any network obtains an IP address, i.e. a unique numerical address, which also constitutes its identity for recognition on that particular network)
• Unique device identification number and device type
• Date of visit and length of time spent on the website
• Type and language of the web browser and browser settings
• Operating system and system settings
• Country and time zone
• Information on the user’s interaction with the website of OPEKA

B. Cookies

OPEKA uses cookies on its official website opeka.gov.gr. Cookies are small text files which are sent to and installed on the computer or electronic device, through the browser, when a user visits the official website of OPEKA. Their purpose, through the services they offer, is to make users’ browsing of the website more convenient. Cookies collect multiple user choices, recognise frequent users, facilitate their access to the website, and collect data for measuring its traffic and improving its content. Such choices are, for example, the user’s default display settings.

They contain a specific combination of letters / digits which identifies the browser used by the user. They are stored on the computer temporarily and are transmitted only during browsing. The cookies we use are not stored on the computer’s hard disk and are deleted when the browser is closed or remains inactive for a long period of time. Cookies do not cause damage to users’ computers, do not collect personal information and do not damage or copy their files. The user always retains the option to control and delete cookies from their computer through the settings of the web browser they use. The user may refuse the use of cookies through the corresponding browser settings.

4. METHOD AND SOURCES OF COLLECTION OF PERSONAL DATA

OPEKA collects data directly from you when you submit any declaration or application, electronically or otherwise, as well as each time you use its electronic services. OPEKA also collects, always within the framework of the purposes it pursues, your personal data from third-party sources (public authorities and services, national and foreign, as well as European and international organisations). By way of example, OPEKA obtains data from the databases of AADE (Independent Authority for Public Revenue), the records of IDIKA S.A. (e-Government Centre for Social Security), as well as from any other digital database and register of General Government bodies that holds data and information relating to the lawful granting of OPEKA’s welfare benefits, in compliance with the provisions of the legislation in force on the protection of personal data and in accordance with tax secrecy. The above data are used exclusively for the application of the provisions governing the granting of OPEKA’s benefits, and any disclosure of them to the public is prohibited.

5. RETENTION PERIOD OF PERSONAL DATA

OPEKA retains your personal data for as long as is required for the fulfilment of the purposes it pursues and in any case for the entire period provided for by law within which the State may exercise its rights and competences.

6. TO WHOM THE PERSONAL DATA IT COLLECTS MAY BE DISCLOSED

OPEKA may provide your personal data to third parties and/or allow graded access where this is provided for by the existing legislation, in accordance with the safeguards laid down therein. OPEKA may also assign to natural or legal persons, public authorities or services and private parties the provision of services in the course of which your personal data are processed on its behalf. In this case, these persons are processors, may carry out only the specific processing assigned to them on the basis of a contract or other legal act, and are bound to protect personal data. Your personal data may also be disclosed to third parties upon your request and with your consent. By way of example, OPEKA provides personal data to General Government bodies (such as, for example, Ministries, AADE, OAED, EFKA, Municipalities, etc.) for compliance with its legal obligations arising from national and Union law and for the performance of tasks carried out in the public interest, to prosecuting and judicial authorities in the context of the investigation or prosecution of crimes, to court bailiffs holding an enforceable title against debtors, and to third parties following a reasoned order of the public prosecutor.

OPEKA may transfer personal data to foreign authorities in the context of mutual administrative assistance in matters of welfare benefits and allowances, to international and European organisations and services in the context of the protection of public expenditure, and to prosecuting and judicial authorities in the context of mutual judicial assistance, in accordance with the provisions of national and European legislation and of international treaties, as ratified and in force.

7. RIGHTS OF CITIZENS

As a data subject, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation:

• To know which personal data concerning you are kept and processed by OPEKA, as well as their origin, the purposes of the processing and who their possible recipients are (right to information, Articles 13 and 14 GDPR).
• To request free access to your personal data held by OPEKA (right of access, Article 15 GDPR).
• To request the rectification of inaccurate personal data and the completion of incomplete data (right to rectification, Article 16 GDPR).
• To request the erasure of your personal data, subject to the restrictions of paragraph 3 of Article 17 GDPR (right to erasure, Article 17 GDPR).
• To request, under certain conditions, the restriction of the processing of your personal data (right to restriction of processing, Article 18 GDPR).
• To object to the processing of your personal data (right to object, Article 21 GDPR).

It is noted that the exercise of the above rights is also governed by more specific provisions.

8. DATA PROTECTION OFFICER

For matters relating to the processing of your personal data by OPEKA, as well as to the exercise of your rights arising from the GDPR, you may also contact the Data Protection Officer (DPO) electronically at dpo@opeka.gr

9. RIGHT TO LODGE A COMPLAINT WITH THE HELLENIC DATA PROTECTION AUTHORITY

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Hellenic Data Protection Authority (HDPA) on matters concerning the processing of your personal data. For the competence of the HDPA and the procedure for submitting a complaint, you may visit its website (www.dpa.gr → My rights → Submit a complaint), where detailed information is available.

10. UPDATE – AMENDMENT OF THE PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION POLICY

OPEKA may update/supplement this Personal Data Protection Policy in accordance with the legislative and regulatory framework in force at any given time. In this case, the updated/supplemented version of the personal data protection statement will be posted and made available on the OPEKA website.