Whether you are a student, staff member, researcher, institutional stakeholder, or simply a visitor, La Rochelle University attaches essential importance to protecting your privacy and respecting your digital rights. As such, it ensures that all personal data processing carried out via the platform https://bycatch-mitigation.eu is fully compliant with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR – EU Regulation 2016/679) and the French Data Protection Act of January 6, 1978, as amended.
This privacy policy is intended to inform you clearly and transparently about how your data is collected, used, protected, and, where applicable, shared within the framework of the European Marine Beacon project, led by La Rochelle University.
The policy may be updated to remain in line with legal, technical, and functional developments on the platform. We encourage you to consult it regularly; the latest version is always available online.
This privacy policy describes how La Rochelle University, as data controller, collects, uses, and protects the personal data of users of the website https://bycatch-mitigation.eu, in accordance with the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR – EU Regulation 2016/679) and the French Data Protection Act of January 6, 1978, as amended.
The processing of personal data is part of the development, management, and operation of the Marine Beacon platform, a research project funded by the HORIZON EUROPE program and coordinated by La Rochelle University in partnership with other European institutions.
This privacy policy is an integral part of the website's General Terms and Conditions of Use.
In accordance with applicable regulations, La Rochelle University has appointed a Data Protection Officer (DPO). For any questions regarding the processing of your personal data or to exercise your rights, please refer to Article 9: "Your rights regarding the processing of your personal data" of this policy.
All processing operations are recorded in the register of processing activities maintained by La Rochelle University.
Generally speaking, you can freely consult the public section of the website https://bycatch-mitigation.eu without providing any personal information. No personal data will be requested by default, unless you choose to access certain specific services.
Any provision of personal data is based on your voluntary action, whether through registration, participation, or contact with the platform administrators.
The website is developed by La Rochelle University for the following components:
• The main access portal,
• The document library,
• Private areas (intended for scientists, mediators, and decision-makers).
Certain specific features, such as the "Seven seas parliament" (European debates) and the "Echoes of the seven seas" (local debates in native languages), are operated by third-party service providers under public procurement contracts. These service providers may also collect data according to their own policies, which can be viewed on the relevant pages. As part of its activities, La Rochelle University may collect personal data from the following sources:
• User account creation or management forms,
• Contact forms for information requests,
• Participation in discussions or contribution of content (documents, comments, votes),
• Single sign-on (SSO) system allowing the exchange of technical information between authorized partners,
• Cookies and technical or analytical trackers placed during your browsing (see cookie policy).
The data collected is intended exclusively for:
• Managing user accounts and access to collaborative spaces,
• Tracking requests submitted via forms,
• Administering and moderating contributions,
• Producing statistical analyses and research results (with prior anonymization),
• Occasionally sending information related to the Marine Beacon project.
Under no circumstances will your data be transferred to unauthorized third parties or used for commercial purposes. La Rochelle University is committed to guaranteeing the confidentiality, proportionality and transparency of the processing carried out.
Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable natural person, directly or indirectly.
As part of the Marine Beacon platform, La Rochelle University may collect and process several categories of personal data, depending on the nature of your interaction with the site. This data is collected either voluntarily or automatically during your browsing.
a) Data provided directly by the user:
This data is transmitted voluntarily by users as part of the use of the platform's services, in particular:
• When creating a user account (public or restricted areas),
• When submitting a contact form,
• When participating in discussions or contributing content (documents, comments, votes). The data collected may include:
• First and last name,
• Email address,
• Professional information (organization, position, area of expertise),
• Display preferences, languages, areas of interest,
• Submitted content (texts, documents, messages),
• Any other information you choose to voluntarily provide.
b) Data collected automatically during browsing:
Certain technical data may be collected automatically via cookies or trackers (see cookie policy):
• IP address (with partial anonymization),
• Operating system and browser type;
• Type of device used (computer, mobile, tablet),
• Pages viewed, duration of viewing, interactions with the interface,
• Approximate location data (country, estimated city);
• Session identifiers and connection logs, particularly in restricted areas.
c) Data from third-party systems:
As part of the use of SSO (Single Sign-On) implemented to facilitate connection between project partners, certain authentication or profile data may be automatically transmitted between partner services (e.g., name, email, role, institution).
La Rochelle University is committed to respecting the principle of minimization, collecting only the data strictly necessary for the purpose of processing, and ensuring its security, confidentiality, and relevance.
La Rochelle University collects and processes your personal data as part of the administration, operation, and development of the Marine Beacon platform, in connection with its public service missions of higher education, research, and scientific mediation. This processing is based on specific legal bases defined by the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
A) Main purposes of processing:
The data is processed for the following purposes:
• To manage user accounts and access rights to public or restricted areas of the platform,
• To enable active user participation in debates, collaborative discussions, consultations, or document submissions,
• To administer and moderate contributions to the various sections of the site,
• To respond to requests sent via contact forms,
• To conduct scientific studies and analyses based on contributions, as part of the HORIZON EUROPE Marine Beacon project (the data is then processed in anonymized form),
• To ensure the security, traceability, and proper technical functioning of the site,
• To continuously improve the user experience and interface usability.
B) Legal bases for processing:
Depending on the purpose, the legal basis for processing your personal data varies. The processing of your personal data is based on:
• The user's explicit consent when creating an account, submitting content, or voluntarily participating in a discussion,
• The performance of a contract or pre-contractual measures, particularly when registering for a service requiring a personal identifier,
• The legitimate interest of La Rochelle University in securing the platform, ensuring its maintenance, measuring usage, or preventing abuse,
• The performance of a public interest mission relating to higher education, research, or citizen participation, within the framework of the European research program Horizon Europe
Each processing operation is strictly regulated, documented in La Rochelle University's register of processing activities, and implemented in compliance with the principle of proportionality.
As part of the personal data processing carried out via the website https://bycatch-mitigation.eu, La Rochelle University may transmit or grant access to your data to various categories of recipients, in compliance with the principle of confidentiality and the specified purposes.
Authorized recipients may include:
• La Rochelle University's internal teams directly involved in the design, administration, and moderation of the platform, including technical staff, researchers, and project managers.
• Service providers acting as subcontractors, particularly for:
◦ Hosting (via the University's IT department)
◦ Development, technical maintenance, or graphic design,
◦ Support for specific participation features (debate, voting, shared library, etc.)
• Scientific partners of the Marine Beacon project, authorized to access certain data Anonymized as part of research work in accordance with the commitments of the Horizon Europe program
External service providers operating certain sections of the site:
The "Seven seas parliament" and "Echoes of the seven seas" platforms are operated by third-party service providers as part of public procurement contracts. These service providers may collect data for their own purposes, in accordance with their general terms of use. However, La Rochelle University remains responsible for the processing of scientific data resulting from contributions to these spaces.
Under no circumstances will your data be sold, rented, or transferred to unauthorized third parties. La Rochelle University only shares your personal information with third parties:
• When such communication is required by law (legal obligation or request from an administrative or judicial authority),
• Or when it is necessary to defend its rights or prevent a major risk (fraud, security).
Transfers outside the European Union:
By default, your data is hosted and processed within the European Union. If, as part of the project, certain data must be transferred to a third country, La Rochelle University will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place (standard contractual clauses, adequacy decision, additional security measures), in accordance with Article 46 et seq. of the GDPR.
Personal data collected on the website https://bycatch-mitigation.eu is retained for a limited period, strictly necessary to achieve the purposes for which it was collected, in accordance with current regulations and applicable legal or contractual obligations.
Retention periods may vary depending on the nature of the data and the purpose of the processing. For information purposes:
• Data related to user account management (identity, contact details, preferences, activity) is retained for up to three years after the last recorded activity or account closure, unless otherwise required.
• Data collected via contact or contribution forms is retained for the time necessary to process the request, then archived or deleted depending on its sensitivity.
• Data relating to newsletters, announcements, or invitations is retained for up to three years after the last active contact from you (or until consent is withdrawn).
• Browsing data collected by cookies is retained in accordance with current regulations, for a maximum period of 6 to 13 months, depending on the type of cookie (technical, analytical).
• Data from contributions to discussion forums or shared documents may be retained anonymously for documentation or research purposes within the Marine Beacon project, until its closure and potentially beyond for archival or scientific purposes, in compliance with the GDPR.
At the end of the above-mentioned periods:
• Data is deleted, anonymized, or securely archived, as appropriate.
• Access to archived data is restricted to authorized individuals for the purposes of their research, audit, or compliance missions. In addition, certain data may be retained beyond the prescribed time limits when necessary:
• To meet a legal retention obligation (particularly in accounting, contractual, or evidentiary matters),
• To establish, exercise, or defend a legal right.
The services offered on the website https://bycatch-mitigation.eu include interactive spaces, such as comment areas, discussion forums, voting rooms, and document sharing interfaces. These features may be accessible either to all visitors (public spaces) or restricted to identified groups of contributors (private spaces).
Registered users can also personalize their profile by adding a visible name, affiliation, biography, photo, or language preferences.
a) User Responsibility for Published Content:
Any information entered in the free fields (comments, contributions, documents, pseudonyms) is published under the responsibility of its author. Depending on the access settings of the area concerned, this information may be:
• Publicly visible throughout the site,
• Limited to authorized members of a restricted area,
• Or, at the express request of the user or an administrator, reclassified from private to public (or vice versa).
La Rochelle University draws users attention to the fact that any personal data voluntarily published in an open area becomes accessible to other users and potentially reusable, even outside the initially intended scope.
b) Sensitive Data – Caution Recommended:
Under the GDPR, certain data are considered particularly sensitive: data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, trade union membership, as well as genetic, biometric, health, or sexual orientation data.
La Rochelle University strongly advises against posting this type of information on interactive services, whether public or restricted. If you nevertheless choose to do so, you acknowledge that you are fully aware of this and agree that this information may become visible to other users.
Consequently, it is strongly recommended that you do not post any data that you do not wish to make public or share, even temporarily.
For more information on the terms of use of participatory spaces, publication and moderation rules, you can consult the General Terms of Use (GTU) available at the following address: Our General Terms of Use (GTU).
La Rochelle University implements all appropriate technical and organizational measures to ensure the security, confidentiality, and integrity of personal data processed through the website https://bycatch-mitigation.eu, in accordance with Article 32 of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
These measures are intended to prevent, within reasonable limits, any unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss, or accidental or unlawful destruction of personal data, whether processed directly by La Rochelle University or by one of its subcontractors.
The protective measures implemented include:
• The use of the HTTPS protocol to encrypt data exchanges via a secure connection,
• The use of SSL/TLS technology for the encryption of sensitive data,
• The implementation of regular backup procedures (physical and logical),
• Restricted access rights based on the roles and functions of internal and external users,
• Logging and access control systems for confidential areas.
When using an external service provider (subcontractor), particularly for hosting, development, or management of functional services for the website, La Rochelle University ensures that the contractual relationship is structured to ensure an equivalent level of security. Specific clauses are included in subcontracting agreements to impose:
• Technical protection measures,
• Confidentiality commitments,
• And an adequate level of training and awareness for those authorized to process the data.
Furthermore, in the event of a security incident likely to compromise personal data (data breach), La Rochelle University undertakes to follow the regulatory procedure, including:
• Notification to the CNIL within the legal deadlines,
• And, where applicable, information to the individuals concerned if the risk to their rights and freedoms is high.
Any attempt at fraudulent access, intrusion, or misappropriation of personal information will be subject to immediate technical measures and may lead to legal proceedings, in accordance with applicable legislation.
In accordance with applicable regulations, you have the right to access your personal data, rectify it, object to its processing, or obtain its restriction, erasure, or portability, where applicable.
Furthermore, you may withdraw your consent at any time for processing based on it, or request to no longer receive our communications regarding information, announcements, greetings, newsletters, and invitations to events organized by La Rochelle University.
Depending on the processing, you have the following rights:
• Right to object: You have the right to object at any time to the processing of your personal data for the purpose of sending information, announcements, greetings, newsletters, and invitations.
• Right of access: You have the right to obtain the information that La Rochelle University holds about you.
• Right to rectification: You have the right to obtain the rectification of inaccurate or incomplete information concerning you. • Right to withdraw consent: For processing based on consent, you may withdraw your consent at any time.
• Right to erasure or right to be forgotten: You have the right to obtain the erasure of your personal data by La Rochelle University when one of the following grounds applies:
▪ The data is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected;
▪ You withdraw your consent to the processing and there is no other legal basis for the processing;
▪ You object to the processing of your personal data and there is no overriding legitimate reason for the processing;
▪ The data is being processed unlawfully;
▪ The data must be erased to comply with a legal obligation.
• Right to data portability: You have the right to obtain the personal data you have provided to La Rochelle University in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format so that you can transmit it to another data controller.
This right applies when the processing is based on your consent or the performance of a contract, and is carried out using automated processes.
• Right to file a complaint with the French Data Protection Authority (CNIL) at the following address:
To exercise your rights, you can contact the Data Protection Officer (DPO) of La Rochelle University at the following address:
• By mail : dpo@univ-lr.fr
• By post : La Rochelle Université – À l’attention du DPO, Technoforum, 23 avenue Albert Einstein, BP 33060, 17031 La Rochelle Cedex 1 – France
La Rochelle University undertakes to respond to you within one month of receiving your request, unless special circumstances require additional time, in accordance with Article 12 of the GDPR.
If you believe that your rights have not been respected or that the processing of your data constitutes a violation of the regulations, you may file a complaint with the competent supervisory authority:
CNIL – Service des plaintes
Adresse : 3 place de Fontenoy – TSA 80715 – 75334 PARIS CEDEX 07
Tél : 01 53 73 22 22
Cookies and other trackers may be used when you browse the website https://bycatch-mitigation.eu, particularly for audience measurement purposes, improving the user experience, or ensuring the technical operation of certain sections.
Cookies placed on the main portal respect privacy and, when they meet the criteria defined by the CNIL (French Data Protection Authority), are exempt from prior consent. Other cookies, particularly those used in sections operated by external service providers (e.g., "Le Parlement des 7 Mers" or "Les Échos des 7 Mers"), are subject to the privacy policies of these service providers.
For complete information on the cookies used, their purpose, retention period, and your management options, please consult the dedicated article in the website's legal notices:
See the article on cookies in the Legal Notices Legal informations
This privacy policy may be modified or updated at any time, in particular to reflect changes in the legal or regulatory framework applicable to the protection of personal data, recommendations from the CNIL or other competent supervisory authorities, new case law decisions, or technical, functional, or organizational changes affecting the Marine Beacon platform.
In the event of a significant change, particularly if it affects your rights or the processing of your data, specific information may be communicated to you on the website. Furthermore, the date the policy was updated will always be prominently displayed in the header or footer of the document.
We encourage you to regularly consult this page to stay informed of any changes. Your continued use of the platform after the publication of changes will constitute acceptance of the updated policy.
For any questions regarding this privacy policy, the processing of your personal data, or the use of the Marine Beacon platform, you can contact the project team at La Rochelle University.
General contact information for the Marine Beacon website and platform:
La Rochelle Université – Équipe projet Marine Beacon
Adresse : [à compléter], 17031 La Rochelle Cedex 1 – France
Mail : contact@bycatch-mitigation.eu
Contact for questions relating to the protection of personal data:
Délégué à la Protection des Données (DPO) – La Rochelle Université
Adresse : Technoforum, 23 avenue Albert Einstein – BP 33060, 17031 La Rochelle Cedex 1 – France
Mail : dpo@univ-lr.fr
If you wish to exercise your rights regarding your personal data (access, rectification, erasure, objection, restriction, portability, or withdrawal of consent), please consult the section dedicated to your rights in this policy for specific details.
Last modified: April 2025