Cookies and Privacy Policy

At Mental Health Europe – Santé Mentale Europe (MHE-SME), we respect the privacy of our donators, partners, website users and contacts. 

This Cookies and Privacy Policy (hereafter “Privacy Policy”) explains how we use the personal data that we collect or generate both in relation to this website and our activities.

BACKGROUND

The international association Mental Health Europe – Santé Mentale Europe with its registered office at rue de la Presse, 4, 1000 Brussels, Belgium collects and uses certain Personal Data as a data controller (in the meaning of the GDPR). MHE-SME is responsible for ensuring that it uses that Personal Data in compliance with data protection laws, including but not limited to the General Data Protection Regulation and any Belgian law implementing it.

We use the following definitions in this Privacy Policy: 

• “MHE-SME”, “we” or “us” means Mental Health Europe – Santé Mentale Europe, association internationale.
• “Personal Data” means any data which relates to a living individual who can be identified from that data or from that data and other information, which is in the possession of, or is likely to come into the possession of, MHE-SME (or its representatives or service providers). In addition to factual information, it includes any expression of opinion about an individual.
• “GDPR” means the EU General Data Protection Regulation.
• “Data controller”, “processing” or any other words defined in the GDPR have the meaning set out in the GDPR.

Please note that this Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time due to the implementation of new technologies and/or through legislative changes. We will inform you accordingly in a suitable manner when it is updated.

THE TYPES OF PERSONAL DATA WE COLLECT

Many interactions with our association require us to obtain Personal Data about you in order to carry out our activities, to answer questions that you asked or to provide services requested. In relation to the interactions available on this website or in the framework of our activities, we will collect and process Personal Data about you, for example, name, contact information, identification number, location data, online identifier, IP address etc.

Information that you provide to MHE-SME. This includes information about you that you provide to us (for example via the contact form of the website). The nature of the interaction with us will determine the kind of Personal Data we might ask for, though such information may include (by way of a non-exhaustive list):

• Basic Personal Data (such as first name; family name; professional title; company name; (professional) email address; (business) phone number; (business) address; city; postcode; country;
• Any information that you choose to share with us (whether through our websites or otherwise) which may be considered Personal Data, including but not limited to questions, comments, complaints, etc.;
• Financial information such as donation that you make.

Information that we collect or generate about you. This includes (by way of a non-exhaustive list): 

• Information about the interactions that you may have with us (questions and answers, requests, etc.);
• When you visit our website, cookies are used to collect technical information about the services that you use, and how you use them.  For more information on the cookies used by MHE-SME please consult the cookies information on our website.

WHY WE USE YOUR PERSONAL DATA

Your Personal Data may be stored and processed by us in the following ways and for the following purposes: 

• for ongoing review and improvement of the information provided on or operation and security of our website;
• to set you up as a member or donator;
• to provide you with services or overview of our activities;
• to understand feedback on our activities and products;
• to communicate with you in order to provide you with information about our activities and services;
• to understand your needs and interests;
• for the management and administration of our activities; 
• in order to comply with and in order to assess compliance with applicable laws, rules and regulations, and internal policies and procedures; and / or 
• for the administration and maintenance of databases storing Personal Data. 

When we use Personal Data we make sure that the usage complies with applicable data protection law (including GDPR) and the law allows us and/or requires us to use Personal Data for a variety of reasons. These include where: 

• we need to do so in order to perform our contractual obligations with our members and donators;
• we have obtained your consent;
• we have legal and regulatory obligations that we have to discharge; 
• we may need to do so in order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights or for the purpose of legal proceedings;
• the use of your Personal Data as described is necessary for our legitimate interests, such as: 

• • allowing us to effectively and efficiently manage and administer the operation of our activities;
  • conducting market research or business analysis;
  • maintaining compliance with internal policies and procedures; and
  • promoting our activities or services.

DISCLOSURE OF YOUR PERSONAL DATA TO THIRD PARTIES 

We may share your Personal Data for the following purposes: 

• with our partners, service providers and members. For example, this could include intermediaries that introduced you to us. Personal Data will only be transferred to a partner, service provider and member who is contractually obliged to comply with appropriate data protection obligations and the relevant privacy and confidentiality obligation;
• with third party agents and contractors for the purposes of providing services to us (for example, accountants, professional advisors, IT and communications providers and lawyers). These third parties will be subject to appropriate data protection obligations, and they will only use your Personal Data as described in this Privacy Policy; 
• to the extent required by law, for example if we are under a duty to disclose your Personal Data in order to comply with any legal obligation (including, without limitation, in order to comply with tax reporting requirements and disclosures to regulators), or to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights.

INTERNATIONAL TRANSFERS OF PERSONAL DATA

MHE-SME is an international association. Our members, donators and partners are spread around the world. As a result, we collect and transfer Personal Data on a global basis. That means that we may transfer your Personal Data to locations outside of your country. 

Where we transfer your Personal Data to another country outside the EEA, we will ensure that it is protected and transferred in a manner consistent with legal requirements. In relation to data being transferred outside of Europe, for example, this may be done in one of the following ways:

• the country that we send the data to might be approved by the European Commission as offering an adequate level of protection for Personal Data; 
• the recipient might have signed up to a contract based on “model contractual clauses” approved by the European Commission, obliging them to protect your Personal Data;
• the recipient may be party to binding corporate rules (relevant to intra-group transfers only);
• we have taken additional safeguards to ensure an adequate level of protection of your Personal Data; or
• in other circumstances the GDPR may permit us to otherwise transfer your Personal Data outside Europe.

You can obtain more details of the protection given to your Personal Data when it is transferred outside Europe (including a copy of the standard data protection clauses which we may have entered into with recipients of your Personal Data) by contacting us as described in section 10 below.

HOW WE SAFEGUARD YOUR INFORMATION

We have extensive controls in place to maintain the security of our information and information systems. The information that we handle is protected with safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the relevant information. Appropriate controls (such as restricted access) are placed on our computer systems. Physical access to areas where Personal Data is gathered, processed or stored is limited to authorised employees. 

As a condition of employment, our employees and partners are required to follow all applicable laws and regulations, including in relation to data protection law. Access to Personal Data is limited to those employees who need to it to perform their roles. Unauthorised use or disclosure of confidential client information by an employee is prohibited and may result in disciplinary measures.

HOW LONG WE KEEP YOUR PERSONAL DATA

How long we will hold your Personal Data for will vary and will be determined by the following criteria:

• the purpose for which we are using it – MHE-SME will need to keep the data for as long as is necessary for that purpose, for example as long as we have interactions with you or as long as to allow us to handle your requests; and
• legal obligations – laws or regulation may set a minimum period for which we have to keep your Personal Data.

YOUR RIGHTS

You have a number of rights in relation to the Personal Data that we hold about you. These rights include:

• the right to obtain information regarding the processing of your Personal Data and access to the Personal Data which we hold about you;
• where you have actively provided your consent for us to process your Personal Data, the right to withdraw your consent at any time;
• in some circumstances, the right to receive some Personal Data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and/or request that we transmit those data to a third party where this is technically feasible; Please note that this right only applies to Personal Data which you have provided to us;
• the right to request that we rectify your Personal Data if it is inaccurate or incomplete;
• the right to request that we erase your Personal Data in certain circumstances; Please note that there may be circumstances where you ask us to erase your personal data but we are legally entitled to retain it;
• the right to request that we restrict our processing of your Personal Data in certain circumstances; Again, there may be circumstances where you ask us to restrict our processing of your Personal Data but we are legally entitled to refuse that request; and
• the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority (details of which are provided below) if you think that any of your rights have been infringed by us.

You can exercise your rights by contacting us using the details set out in the “Contacting us” section below.

You can find out more information about your rights by contacting the supervisory authority in your jurisdiction. In Belgium, the supervisory authority is the Data Protection Authority (“Autorité de protection des données” in French or “Gegevensbeschermingautoriteit” in Dutch), rue de la Presse 35, 1000 Brussels, or by searching its website at www.autoriteprotectiondonnees.be or www.gegevensbeschermingsautoriteit.be.

COOKIES

This section on cookies and the consent that you gave for the use of cookies apply to each use of this website. You gave your consent to the use of cookies in the cookie banner as described in the cookie banner and this section.

MHE-SME tries to keep the information on the cookies up-to-date but insists on the fact that the information is always a snapshot. Because of the constant innovation of the website, the non-static character of the internet and the third parties involved in the use of cookies, it is possible that all cookies and information are not available here.

To the extent that we collect personal data with the help of cookies we will process them in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

Types of cookies and purposes

A cookie is a small file that includes a small quantity of information sent to the browser of the website user by a web server and stored on the hard disk drive of the computer for archiving purposes. Certain parts of the website runs on the basis of profile information recorded in the cookies.

The website uses cookies in two ways. The cookies are first used to identify you as a user and to allow you to use our website. Those cookies are deleted at the end of a session unless you choose explicitly to save your user name and password. The cookies are also used to record information in order to re-use them and to save your user preferences. The cookies are part of the functionalities of our website. If your browser does not accept the cookies, you will not be able to use this website properly. In addition to personal data, the website also records non personal data (number and duration of the visits, preferences, etc.). Those data are used to improve the website and its use, for example by displaying information based on the interests of the user. MHE-SME will periodically receive a summary of the data rendered anonymous that cannot lead to identifiable users. Those data do no longer allow identifying the individual user. 

Deactivation of cookies

If you oppose against the use of cookies, you can deactivate them in your browser. Note that it is not possible to remove essential cookies. You will find further information on the deactivation of cookies in your browser on the website of the following developers of your browser:

• Google – Chrome
• Microsoft – Internet Explorer
• Mozilla – Firefox
• Apple – Safari
• Opera

Mobile devices:

• Android
• Safari
• Windows Phone
• Blackberry

In order to give more control to the users of websites, Google has developed Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. This extension prevents that data relating to your visit be sent to Google Analytics. Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on does not prevent the sending of information to other software of web analytics.

CONTACTING US

If you have any questions or concerns about our processing of your Personal Data or about this Privacy Policy, or to exercise the above rights, please contact us with the following contact information:

Address: Mental Health Europe, Rue de la Presse 4, Brussels 1000, Belgium

Email: info@mhe-sme.org