Updated September 2018
This « Cookies Policy » aims to inform you and to meet the requirements of the updated so-called « Informatique et libertés » law and of the General Data Protection Regulation pertaining to the use of cookies by Europa Group.
What is the cookies policy and what is its scope?
You are hereby informed that when you visit Europa Group’s websites and other digital spaces, cookies may be installed on your device (computer, tablet or smartphone). We can also place cookies on emails sent to you or when you install software or a mobile application.
This policy introduces essential elements pertaining to the way in which we use cookies and for which purposes, but it is also an opportunity to underline your rights.
This policy is applicable from the fact alone that it is published on our website. The latest online version prevails over all others.
It is not a substitute for Europa Group’s clients and prospects’ data policy accessible here
What is a cookie?
From a legal point of view, rather than referring to « cookies », the term « connection tracers » is used, or « any action attempting to access, via electronic transmission, information stored in electronic communications terminal equipment or to write information in this terminal », but for ease of reference we also use the term « cookies », which the majority of internet users understands.
In practice, cookies are used in different environments: websites, email, software or application downloads, etc.
A cookie is a small text file (IT file) saved, and/or read by your browser, on your terminal’s hard disk (desktop or laptop computer, tablet as well as smartphone) when you visit one of Europa Group‘s websites or any of its other digital spaces.
From a technical point of view, there are four different types of cookies:
- Technical use cookies, which respond to an action on your part on the website, required for the use of a specific service or to access specific content.
- Identification and customization cookies, which allow us to know you better and to identify you when you come back to the website.
- Analysis and performance cookies, which allow us to track various metrics: visitor numbers, page visits.
- Advertising or targeting cookies, which save data that make it possible to customize display ads to specific internet users.
From a technical point of view, many different types of cookies exist: http cookies, « flash » cookies, « fingerprinting », invisible pixels or « web bugs », this list not being exhaustive.
What is the purpose of cookies?
Cookies have three main specific purposes:
Aim 1 – Smooth service or services operation
Through the study of technical statistics that allow to monitor smooth service operation.
Through the identification of error messages providing a solution to any technical issues;
By ensuring the safety of user accounts (new authentication after a given amount of time).
Aim 2 – Improving the user experience (UX)
Especially by improving the quality and speed of the user experience, for instance by automatically filling out entry fields on every visit;
By optimizing the functionality of the digital environment concerned or that of the various offered functionalities;
By configuring the use of this environment according to its user to match his/her preferences, for example by memorizing his/her default language;
By studying cookie-provided statistics to continually improve and tailor the service to each user in order to ensure the best experience.
Aim 3 – Economic purpose
By displaying targeted ads based on the user’s internet searches. For this reason, stored cookies make it possible to target the user to show him/her an ad that matches his/her interests (based on location data, if they are activated or based on previously shared personal data), they are also used for statistical purposes, for reporting on displayed ads;
Finally, cookies make it possible to monitor and report on the digital environment’s activity: amount of daily connections, connected profiles, busiest time slots, etc.
What type of data do we collecte?
There are many misinterpretations about cookies.
Cookies are not “spies” that let us collect massive amounts of information or critical or personal information or to access confidential business data.
Cookies make it possible for us to collect the following, for instance:
- Your IP address;
- Your session or user ID;
- The internet user’s default language (and not his/her native language);
- Location data (in some cases);
Who can access this data?
Access to the data collected by the company thanks to cookies is limited to:
Internal recipients
- Marketing/Communications Manager
- IT Systems Manager
- Executive Management
- Other management as required
External recipients
- Advertisers or advertising departments
- Online advertising businesses
- Technical suppliers
What rights do i have?
Article 32 II of the French data privacy law (“Loi Informatique et Libertés”) of 6 January 1978 requires that:
Any subscriber or user of an electronic communication service shall be informed in a clear and comprehensive manner by the data controller or its representative, except if already previously informed, regarding:
– the purpose of any action intended to provide access, by means of electronic transmission, to information previously stored in their electronic connection terminal device, or to record data in this device;
– the means available to them to object to such action.
Such access or recording may only be carried out provided that the subscriber or user has explicitly expressed, after receiving said information, their agreement that may result from appropriate parameter settings in their connection device or any other system under their control.
These provisions shall not apply if the access to data stored in the terminal device of the user or the recording of information in the terminal device of the user is:
– either exclusively intended to enable or facilitate communication by electronic means; or
– strictly necessary for the provision of an online communication service at the user’s express request.
In summary, you have two rights:
- to consent to the use of cookies;
- to deactivate some or all cookies.
Consent
User consent is not required for:
So-called “mandatory” cookies, when they are required for the digital environment operation (technical use cookies).
On the contrary, consent is required for cookies:
- Related to targeted ad campaigns;
- Related to audience tracking campaigns;
- Generated by share buttons redirecting to various social networks.
Consent is therefore required for any cookie that allows user behavior tracking.
Since we use the two types of cookies, we have decided to ask for your consent.
The cookies policy is an informational document. It does not need to be consented to, it is your responsibility take note of it. On the contrary, the use of some cookies is dependent upon your consent.
This consent is formalized, per CNIL requirement, by:
- An informational banner;
- An “accept” button on said banner
- The option to click on the link to have access to this full policy.
How can i deactivate/adjust cookie settings?
Most web browsers are set by default to accept cookies that are required for the internet to work. However, they also let the user choose or decline all cookies or even to select which ones the user agrees to.
To do so, each browser has its own specificities, settings are relatively easy to adjust through their respective help menus, for example:
On Google Chrome: https://support.google.com/accounts/answer/61416?co=GENIE.Platform%3DDesktop&hl=en
On Internet Explorer: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/17442/windows-internet-explorer-delete-manage-cookies
On Mozilla Firefox: https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/delete-cookies-remove-info-websites-stored
On Opera: https://www.opera.com/help/tutorials/security/privacy/
Clarification: Europa Group cannot be held accountable for the accuracy of these URLs or the information they contain.
Regarding mobile applications, emails and social networks, please refer to your account settings, which vary according to web platforms and providers.
We hereby inform you that adjusting your browser settings to refuse or restrict specific cookies can have two main important consequences:
- Service, page or content access limitation or restriction;
- A less optimized user experience (being obligated to fill out the same information several times, for instance).
Clarification: it is impossible for us to be more precise on the consequences of cookie deactivation because the type of deactivated cookies and type of deactivation undertaken by the web user is a key factor.
In addition, we also wish to draw your attention to the fact that, when you oppose the installation of the use of cookies, a refusal cookie may be installed on your terminal. When this cookie is deleted, it will no longer be possible to identify you as a user who opposes cookie use. In the same way, even when you consent to the use of cookies, an acceptance cookie is installed.
Use of third-party cookies
Third-party cookies can be stored by partners or advertising services in order to find out about user interests through the products and services he/she browses through on the website concerned by this policy.
They can be deposited during the use of the digital environment concerned or when the user clicks on their advertising space.
We are not in charge of those cookies which are deposited by businesses working for their own purposes. To learn more, we invite you to consult their own “cookies policy”.
How long is my data stored?
Europa Group meets the CNIL’s requirements in terms of cookie storage duration.
It considers the consent to cookie installation for 13 months starting from the date of consent.
Evolution of this policy
This policy may be modified or adjusted at any time in case of changes in legislation, case law, in decisions or recommendations from the CNIL, or changes in custom.
Any new revision to this policy will be made available to users online and will replace the previous version.
Any questions on this policy?
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact us:
For any general information on personal data protection, you may visit the CNIL website: www.cnil.fr. specifically https://www.cnil.fr/fr/site-web-cookies-et-autres-traceurs
