1. General Information

The protection of your personal data is important to us. ECQA GmbH processes personal data in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the Austrian Data Protection Act (DSG) and other applicable data protection legislation.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal data may be processed when you visit our website or use our online services, for which purposes such data is processed and what rights you have as a data subject.

2. Controller

The controller responsible for the processing of personal data on this website is:

ECQA GmbH
Rechte Kremszeile 62
3500 Krems an der Donau
Austria

Phone: +43 664 39 12 799
E-mail: info@ecqa.org

3. Server Log Files

When you access our website, certain technical information may automatically be transmitted by your browser and processed by the web server.

This may include:

• IP address
• date and time of access
• requested page or file
• browser type and version
• operating system
• referring website
• Internet service provider

This information is processed in order to ensure the secure and reliable operation of the website, detect technical problems and protect our systems against misuse or attacks.

Where applicable, processing is based on our legitimate interest in operating and securing our website pursuant to Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR.

Server log data is retained only for as long as necessary for these purposes or as required by applicable law.

4. Contact

If you contact us by e-mail or through a contact form on our website, we process the personal data you provide, such as your name, e-mail address, telephone number and the content of your message.

The data is processed solely for the purpose of handling your enquiry and communicating with you.

Depending on the nature of your enquiry, processing is based on Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR for contractual or pre-contractual communication or Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR based on our legitimate interest in responding to enquiries.

Your data will be retained only for as long as necessary to process your enquiry and thereafter for any applicable statutory retention periods.

5. Examination Registration

Our website provides forms for registration for examinations and related services.

When you submit an examination registration, we process the personal data entered in the respective form. This may include, depending on the examination or service:

• name and contact details
• e-mail address
• information relating to the selected examination
• examination date and language
• payment-related information
• other information voluntarily provided in the registration form

The data is processed for the purpose of handling your registration, organising and administering the examination and providing the requested services.

The legal basis for this processing is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR, as the processing is necessary to perform a contract or take steps prior to entering into a contract.

Where statutory retention requirements apply, relevant data may also be retained on the basis of Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR.

6. Newsletter

If you subscribe to our newsletter, we process the personal data provided during registration, in particular your e-mail address, for the purpose of sending you information about ECQA GmbH, our activities, projects and related topics.

The processing is based on your consent pursuant to Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.

Where a double opt-in procedure is used, you will receive a confirmation e-mail after registration. Your subscription becomes active only after you confirm your e-mail address.

You may withdraw your consent and unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time, for example by using the unsubscribe link provided in the newsletter. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before the withdrawal.

Your data will be retained for newsletter purposes until you unsubscribe or withdraw your consent, subject to any legally required documentation periods.

7. Newsletter Analytics

Where our newsletter system provides statistics relating to the delivery, opening or use of newsletters, such data may be processed for the purpose of evaluating and improving our newsletter communication.

Where such processing requires consent, it will only take place on the basis of your consent pursuant to Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.

You may withdraw your consent at any time with effect for the future.

8. Embedded Content and External Services

Our website may contain content or links provided by third parties, for example videos, social media services or external project and partner websites.

When third-party content is actively loaded, the respective provider may receive technical information such as your IP address and browser information. Depending on the provider, data may also be processed outside the European Economic Area.

Where the use of a third-party service requires consent, the respective content or service will only be activated after consent has been provided.

External websites are subject to the privacy policies of their respective operators.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar technologies.

Technically necessary cookies may be used where required for the operation, security or functionality of the website.

Optional cookies or technologies that are not technically necessary will only be used where the required consent has been obtained.

You can withdraw or change your consent at any time through the cookie settings available on our website.

Under Austrian rules, non-essential cookies generally require prior consent, whereas technically necessary cookies do not.

10. Recipients and Processors

Where necessary for the operation of our website and services, personal data may be processed by service providers acting on our behalf, for example providers of:

• website hosting and technical infrastructure
• e-mail services
• newsletter services
• examination and registration systems
• IT support and maintenance

Such service providers process personal data only in accordance with applicable data protection law and, where required, on the basis of appropriate data processing agreements.

Personal data will not be sold to third parties.

11. Data Transfers to Third Countries

Where services from providers outside the European Economic Area are used, personal data may be transferred to third countries.

Where such transfers take place, ECQA GmbH will ensure that an appropriate legal basis and the safeguards required under the GDPR are in place, such as an adequacy decision by the European Commission or appropriate contractual safeguards.

12. Storage Period

We store personal data only for as long as necessary for the respective processing purpose or for as long as required by statutory retention obligations.

Once the respective purpose no longer applies and no legal obligation requires further storage, the data will be deleted or anonymised as appropriate.

13. Your Rights

Under the GDPR, you may have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right of access – you may request information about personal data we process about you.
• Right to rectification – you may request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Right to erasure – you may request deletion of your personal data where the legal requirements are met.
• Right to restriction of processing – you may request that processing of your personal data be restricted in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability – where applicable, you may receive personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format.
• Right to object – you may object to processing based on legitimate interests where the legal requirements are met.
• Right to withdraw consent – where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time with effect for the future.

These are the same substantive rights contained in your existing separate GDPR page, so there is no reason to maintain that page separately.

To exercise your rights, please contact:

ECQA GmbH
E-mail: info@ecqa.org

14. Right to Lodge a Complaint

If you believe that the processing of your personal data infringes applicable data protection law, you have the right to lodge a complaint with a competent supervisory authority.

In Austria, the competent supervisory authority is:

Austrian Data Protection Authority (Österreichische Datenschutzbehörde)
Barichgasse 40–42
1030 Vienna
Austria
E-mail: dsb@dsb.gv.at
Phone: +43 1 52 152-0

 

15. Automated Decision-Making

ECQA GmbH does not use automated decision-making, including profiling, that produces legal effects concerning users or similarly significantly affects them.

 

16. AI-Generated Content

Our website may contain images or other visual content that has been created or modified with the assistance of artificial intelligence (AI).

 

17. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy where necessary to reflect changes to our website, services or legal requirements.

The current version is always available on this website.