PRIVACY POLICY

Last updated: [DD Month YYYY]

  1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how the Mic2Food website (mic2food.eu) collects, uses, and protects personal data. Mic2Food is COST Action CA24132, “Accelerating Innovation and Development of European Microbial Foods,” funded by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). This policy applies to visitors of mic2food.eu, newsletter subscribers, Working Group (WG) members, Management Committee (MC) members, and participants in Mic2Food events, meetings, Short-Term Scientific Missions (STSMs), and Training Schools.

Note: where you interact with COST’s own systems directly, for example the e-COST portal used to manage MC/WG membership, meeting attendance and reimbursements your data is processed by the COST Association under its own privacy policy, available at cost.eu/privacy-policy. This Mic2Food policy covers data collected specifically through the mic2food.eu website and its related communication channels (newsletter, contact/registration forms, photos from Action events).

(2. Who is the Data Controller

 

 

  1. What Personal Data We Collect, Why, and For How Long

Purpose

Data collected

Legal basis

Retention

Website analytics

Standard, non-identifying usage logs (pages visited, browser type, approximate location, referral source) via Google Analytics

Consent (GDPR Art. 6(1)(a))

[e.g. 14–26 months, or until consent withdrawn]

Newsletter subscription

Name, email address

Consent (Art. 6(1)(a))

Until you unsubscribe

Contact / general enquiries

Name, email, message content

Consent (Art. 6(1)(a))

[e.g. 2 years from last contact]

Event, Training School & STSM registration

Name, email, institution, position, nationality, dietary/accessibility needs where relevant, bank details for reimbursement (processed via COST’s e-COST system where applicable)

Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)); legal obligation for financial/reimbursement records

Until objection, or per COST/Belgian audit requirements where reimbursement is involved

Photos and video from Action meetings/events

Images, voice recordings when speaking at recorded sessions

Consent (Art. 6(1)(a)),  participants are asked before publication

Until objection or removal request

Vacancy / mobility grant announcements

Contact details submitted via application forms, CVs if uploaded

Consent (Art. 6(1)(a))

[e.g. duration of the call plus 6 months]

Working Group / MC member listings published on the site

Name, institution, country, professional photo/bio (only if voluntarily provided)

Consent (Art. 6(1)(a))

Until membership ends or removal is requested

 

  1. How We Use Your Data

We use personal data only for the purposes listed above: operating and improving the website, sending Action news and updates to subscribers, organising and reporting on events and mobility activities, and publicly presenting the Action’s structure (WGs, MC) as required by COST’s own governance and reporting rules.

We do not sell personal data, and we do not use it for purposes incompatible with those stated above without asking for fresh consent.

  1. Who We Share Data With
  • Hosting/technical provider: Hostinger which stores the website’s data.
  • Email/newsletter platform: Mic2Food homepage? used to manage subscriptions and send updates.
  • COST Association: for governance and funding-related data (MC/WG membership, meeting attendance, grants, reimbursements) processed through the official e-COST portal, under COST’s own privacy policy.
  • We do not share personal data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.
  • Where a processor is located outside the EU/EEA, transfers are protected by an adequacy decision or EU Standard Contractual Clauses.

 

  1. Your Rights

Under the GDPR, you have the right to:

  • access the personal data we hold about you;
  • request correction of inaccurate data;
  • request erasure (“right to be forgotten”), subject to legal retention obligations;
  • request restriction of, or object to, processing;
  • receive your data in a portable format;
  • withdraw consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal;
  • lodge a complaint with your national Data Protection Authority, or with [national DPA of the Grant Holder Institution’s country], if you believe your data has been processed unlawfully.

To exercise these rights, contact mic2food@gmail.com. We will respond within one month as required by the GDPR.

 

  1. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal data against unauthorised access, loss, or misuse, consistent with the standards applied by the COST Association to its own systems.

  1. Children

The Mic2Food website is intended for researchers, professionals, and the general public interested in the Action’s scientific work and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors.

  1. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The “Last updated” date at the top will always reflect the most recent revision. Material changes will be highlighted on this page.

  1. Contact

Questions about this policy: mic2food@gmail.com. Questions about COST’s own processing (e-COST, MC/WG governance data): privacy@cost.eu