Skip to content

Last updated on 17 April 2025

Introduction

‍Eastern Lights is a project that is co-funded by the European Union through Horizon Europe and coordinated by Holcim Bulgaria with its registered office at Beli Izvor 3040, 3040 Vratsa, Bulgaria (“Eastern Lights”, “Eastern Lights Consortium”, “we”, “us”, “our”). The consortium includes multiple partners across the EU and associated countries.

On this page, you can read how Eastern Lights handles your personal data, how we protect it, and how you can exercise your rights under privacy legislation.

We respect and value your privacy and will only collect and use personal data in the manner and for the purposes as described in this document and that is consistent with our obligations and your rights under the applicable legislation and regulations.

This notice applies to personal data collected via the Eastern Lights project website, through electronic communications (e.g., email), or through other means of interaction with individuals connected to the project (e.g., project participants, stakeholders, contractors, or media contacts). It also applies to any personal data we may receive from third-party sources in connection with the execution of the project.

We may update this notice from time to time to reflect changes in applicable law or our data processing practices. If you have any questions or concerns about this notice or how we handle your personal data, please contact us at contact@eastern-lights.eu.

What is personal data?

Personal data refers to any information that can identify you as a person. Examples include your name, email address, or telephone number. You can find more information about personal data and privacy legislation on the website of your national data protection authority or the European Data Protection Board.


Role of Eastern Lights when processing personal data

For the purpose of the EU General Data Protection Regulation 2016/679 (GDPR), the Eastern Lights Consortium qualifies as ‘the controller’ for our processing activities in scope of this privacy notice.


Why does Eastern Lights collect your personal data?

We only collect personal data when it is necessary, such as:

  • When you subscribe to updates or contact us directly.
  • When participating in events.
  • For general communication and outreach activities.

In such cases, we process your personal data based on your consent.

We may also process your personal data on the basis of legitimate interests (e.g., project coordination or stakeholder engagement), legal obligations (e.g., compliance with EU project reporting requirements), or contractual necessity where relevant.


How do we collect this personal data?

We may collect information about you in various ways:

  • directly from you, for example when you provide us with your personal information by contacting us or when a contact person provides his/her personal data by email or by means of a business card;
  • directly from you when you visit our website which may include information you provide to us by means of contact forms on that website;
  • from third parties, for example where we obtain your contact details from your employer and/or colleagues, external advisers, and other third parties; or
  • otherwise, for example, from your website or advertisements.


How long does Eastern Lights retain your personal data?

We will not store or keep your personal data longer than necessary in light of the purposes for which we process them. If you unsubscribe from our communications or withdraw your consent, we will delete your data unless we are legally required to retain it.


How does Eastern Lights protect your personal data?

We take data security seriously. Appropriate technical and organisational measures are in place to protect your personal data against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, or disclosure.‍


Do we share your personal data?

Within the Eastern Lights Consortium access to personal data is limited to those persons who, due to their function, need to have access to it, such person respecting the confidential nature of that personal data.

Your data will never be sold. We only share it when there is a legitimate interest, or when legally required (e.g., in case of legal proceedings).

Our website(s) may provide links to third-party websites (e.g. social media) which collect personal data like online identifiers and online behaviour as well. You should be aware that the owners and operators of such third-party websites might collect, use or transfer personal data under different terms and conditions than Eastern Lights. Upon linking to a third-party website, you should inform yourself of the privacy policies of such third-party websites.

In some limited circumstances, we will share personal data with competent authorities who are authorised to request such information or to whom we have to disclose information, as required by law or as a result of legal proceedings or court proceedings.

Eastern Lights may transfer your personal data to you or any other party you appoint, at your request (see ‘What are your data protection rights?’ below) or with your consent.

‍

What are your data protection rights?

If and to the extent provided under applicable European data protection law (which contains various exemptions), you shall have the right:

  • to obtain confirmation as to whether or not your personal data is being processed and, where that is the case, you shall have the right to obtain further information about such processing as well as the right to obtain a copy of your personal data (or in some cases have your personal data transferred to another controller);
  • to obtain the rectification of inaccurate personal data and to have incomplete personal data completed ;
  • to obtain the erasure of personal data that is not/no longer lawfully processed;
  • object to (part of) the processing of your personal data (especially any processing for direct marketing purposes) if the processing was based on legitimate interests;
  • the restriction of (part of) the processing of your personal data in certain cases (e.g. while we are assessing whether we should indeed rectify or stop processing your personal data);
  • to object or get more information on our use of your personal data for automated individual decision-making that applies to you. We currently do not undertake any automated individual decision-making; and
  • data portability (receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format and to (have) transmit(ted) your personal data to another organization).

To exercise one of these rights, please send your request in an email to contact@eastern-lights.eu. Please note that we have an obligation to check your identity through reasonable means and that we may not be able to meet your request if we cannot identify you in our datasets.

If you believe that your personal data has been processed in a way that does not comply with applicable data protection laws, you have the right to lodge a complaint with your national data protection authority.

Contact Details

Eastern Lights Project
Coordinated by HOLCIM BULGARIA AD
Beli Izvor 3040, Vratsa, Bulgaria
https://www.holcim.bg/bg
contact@eastern-lights.eu