What Cookies are used when using the Website, if applicable by which service provider/partner (“vendors”) they are supplied, which of your data is processed in the process and whether you wish to consent to this, can be determined through the Consent Management Platform. The Consent Management Platform also includes further information about the cookies and tracking technologies used. This is to further adhere to article Article 6(1)(a) of the GDPR pertaining to informed consent through means of CMP. Likewise, Article 7 of the GDPR stipulates conditions for consent, which include the necessity to keep records demonstrating that the user has given their consent to the processing of their personal data.

To enable you to make an informed decision, we use a cookie consent management procedure (the Consent Management Platform described above), which obtains your consent to the use of cookies, associated processing as disclosed within the procedure and respective vendors. This consent can be managed by you and if you wish, can also be revoked. This is to follow Article 7(3) of the GDPR states that “The data subject shall have the right to withdraw his or her consent at any time. The withdrawal of consent shall not affect the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal. Prior to giving consent, the data subject shall be informed thereof. It shall be as easy to withdraw as to give consent.” This likewise adheres to ePrivacy Directive (2002/58/EC), which requires that users be given the ability to refuse the use of cookies that are not strictly necessary. The declaration of consent is stored to avoid a repeat request for consent and to be able to prove your consent in accordance with the obligatory legal requirements. The storage of consent obeys Article 7(1) of GDPR where processing is based on consent, the controller shall be able to demonstrate that the data subject has consented to processing of his or her personal data. This implies that consent must be stored and documented. The storage can take place on the associated server and/or in the form of a cookie (“opt-in cookie”) or with the help of comparable technologies, to be able to assign the consent to a user or their end device. Subject to individual information on the providers of cookie management services, the following information applies: The duration of the storage of consent can be up to 12 months. The compulsory duration period of consent storage is not directly specified within GDPR, however it does emphasize that personal data may only be stored for as long as necessary to fulfill the purpose for which it was collected as per Article 5(1)(e), known as the “storage limitation” principle. This implies that storage of consent may therefore vary depending on individually given circumstances. A pseudonymous identifier of the user is created and together with the time of consent and information on the scope of consent (e.g. which categories of cookies and/or service providers) saved. As defined within Article 4(5) of the GDPR ‘pseudonymisation’ means the processing of personal data in such a manner that the personal data can no longer be attributed to a specific data subject without the use of additional information, provided that such additional information is kept separately and is subject to technical and organisational measures to ensure that the personal data are not attributed to an identified or identifiable natural person; In addition, Recital 26 of GDPR states that Personal data which have undergone pseudonymisation, which could be attributed to a natural person by the use of additional information, should be considered to be information on an identifiable natural person.

It may be vital to note that according to Recital 28 of GDPR, the application of pseudonymisation to personal data can reduce the risks to the data subjects concerned and help controllers and processors to meet their data-protection obligations.

The Consent Management Platform enables you to filter and provide an overview of the various cookies, trackers and analysis tools and, if applicable, the vendors used by us. Furthermore, it enables you to select them according to their processing purpose and, if desired, to deactivate them generally or individually. However, you cannot deactivate technically essential cookies, trackers and analysis tools for the reasons described above. This in turn adheres to the aforementioned Articles 4(11), 7, and 8 of the GDPR pertaining to nuances of consent. It likewise follows Privacy Directive (Directive 2002/58/EC): Article 5(3) which specifically deals with the storing of information, or the gaining of access to information already stored, in the terminal equipment of a subscriber or user.

To access this Consent Management Platform , please click on “Manage cookie settings” (accessible via the menu item at the bottom of the Website). Easy mode of access to consent and data management tools follows Article 15 of the GDPR states that: “The data subject shall have the right to obtain from the controller confirmation as to whether or not personal data concerning him or her are being processed. If a data subject wishes to avail himself of this right of access, he or she may, at any time, contact the controller.” CMP tool is thus to serve as a mode of transparent and accessible management.

As previously stated, you can use the Website free of cookies and other tracking mechanisms that are not technically essential, both from the outset and also subsequently. In this case, only the technically essential cookies, trackers and analysis tools that are necessary for the operability of the Website will remain.

Note on consent: Some of the services listed in the Consent Management Platform are set by our vendors or we transmit your data to these vendors. You can find more details in our Consent Management Platform .

Note on consent: Some of the services listed in the Consent Management Platform transmit data to the USA. The data processing and the protection of your data in the USA do not meet GDPR standards. The services/vendors are subject to US law and may therefore be required to hand over data to US authorities or US secret services. In particular, risks for you include the difficulty of asserting your rights, the lack of control over the further processing or transfer of your data and the aforementioned access by state authorities. You can also find more details in our Consent Management Platform . Article 45 of the GDPR provides that a transfer of personal data may take place where the Commission has decided that the third country ensures an adequate level of protection. In the absence of such a decision, Article 46 outlines the conditions for data transfers subject to appropriate safeguards, such as standard data protection clauses adopted by the Commission. However, the US does not have an adequacy decision from the European Commission, which means that the level of protection for personal data in the US is not considered to be adequate by the EU. This would therefore serve as a standard contractual clause (SCC) as per Article 46 of the GDPR for data transfer allowance. (*For reference only – CJEU made clear that reliance on SCCs requires a case-by-case assessment of the level of data protection that can be ensured in the recipient country, taking into account both the SCCs and, where necessary, supplementary measures.)

To manage your cookie settings/opposition in this regard, please click on “Manage Cookie Settings” (accessible via the menu item at the bottom of the Website).