Italy's data protection authority is investigating claims by Belgium's government that an unnamed police department misused official powers to pass the personal details of Belgian drivers to Euro Parking Collection (EPC), employed by TfL to issue fines to enforce London's low emission zone (Lez) and ultra-low emission zone.
Authorities in the Netherlands and Germany have stated that their databases were also illegally accessed by an agent in Italy in what one Belgium MP has called "the biggest data and privacy breach in EU history".
TfL denies the claims, saying: "EPC have confirmed that they have not used an Italian police department to access driver details." The fines are alleged to have been issued illegally because, since Brexit, national laws allow Britain to access the personal data of EU citizens only for criminal offences. Breaching Ulez rules is a civil contravention.
Britain's departure from the EU means there are now questions about how TfL can enforce compliance with clean air rules for foreign vehicles.
The allegations come less than two years after a court bailiff in Belgium was suspended on suspicion of unlawfully accessing the Belgian vehicle database for Euro Parking.
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