The present article emerges from the project ‘RECAP preterm – Research on European Children and Adults Born Preterm’ which has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 733280. Under this project, a report, whose objective was to describe and compare the Challenges and Opportunities of Record-Linkage Processes, was developed by an ISPUP partner and presented in September 2019. Now, we discuss the issue focused on General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and national law, with a critical view as to how the legal regime for accessing routinely collected health and educational data and its subsequent processing for research purposes. The main results of this article are the reflection on the difficulties that scientific research faces and the consideration of future legislative changes in a world where data protection is a priority policy concern. Although scientific research in health is recognised by International, European and National law as an asset for the development of society, this article seeks to demonstrate that the possibilities for access and use of personal data, including sensitive data, are not broad.

Linking records could serve as a useful tool for scientific research and as a facilitator for local policymaking. This article examines the challenges and opportunities for researchers to lawfully link routinely collected health and education data with cohort data of children when using it as a tool for scientific research in Portugal. Such linking can be lawfully conducted in Portugal if three requirements are met. First, data processing pursues a legitimate purpose, such as scientific research. Secondly, data linking complies with the legal obligations of research entities and researchers, acting as data controllers or processors, and it respects the rights of children as data subjects. Finally, data linking is based on the explicit written consent of those with parental responsibility for the child. So far, the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation in Portugal has not facilitated record linkage. It is argued that further harmonised implementation of that Regulation across European Union and European Economic Area Member States, establishing a minimum shared denominator for record linkage in scientific research for the common good, including without explicit consent, is needed.

RESUMO:Os drones representam uma tecnologia emergente. O seu crescimento verificou-se nos mais variados domínios e trouxe repercussões económicas de relevo. A criação de novos postos de trabalho e o investimento no I&D em diferentes domínios associados aos drones são alguns dos benefícios económicos desta inovação.A par das mais-valias, a introdução [desmesurada] dos drones no quotidiano dos cidadãos pode revelar-se atentatória dos seus direitos e liberdades. Em particular, destacamos os direitos à privacidade, reserva da vida privada, imagem, palavra e proteção de dados pessoais, bem como as liberdades de circulação e de expressão.Procuramos refletir quanto ao (des)enquadramento legal da utilização dos drones na Lei n.º 1/2005 de 10 de janeiro, obsoleta no que respeita aos atuais meios de videovigilância, e discutimos a necessidade da caducada Proposta de Lei n.º 173/XIII na tutela dos direitos e liberdades supra referidos. Debatemos ainda em que medida o uso de um drone configura um tratamento de dados pessoais que caiba no âmbito de aplicação do RGPD, a necessidade de reinterpretação dos princípios nele previstos, e o relevo do princípio da proteção de dados desde a conceção e por defeito nestes casos.