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  5. Harmonization of Ukraine’s criminal legislation with EU standards in the field of personal data protection

Almanac of law. Issue 17 (2026), pages 416–422.

DOI: 10.33663/2524-017X-2026-17-416-422

Semchuk N. O.
Harmonization of Ukraine’s criminal legislation with EU standards in the field of personal data protection

The article is devoted to the study of the role and place of criminal law in the system of ensuring a general level of personal data protection in Ukraine amidst European integration processes.

The relevance of the topic is driven by the necessity of aligning national legislation with European Union standards, particularly Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (GDPR). The study is based on a comprehensive analysis of the legal nature of personal data as an independent object of legal protection. The author emphasizes that to obtain the status of a country with an adequate level of data protection, Ukraine must demonstrate the presence of not only administrative but also effective criminal law mechanisms.

As part of the research, the provisions of Article 45 of the GDPR, which defines the criteria for assessing the legal systems of third countries — including the role of criminal law and public authorities’ access to data — are analyzed. Particular attention is paid to a critical analysis of the current Article 182 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. It is proven that its disposition, focused on protecting the “inviolability of private life,” does not fully encompass the specifics of personal data protection offenses, creating a gap between Ukrainian law and international standards.

Developing the disposition for the proposed Article 182-1 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine, the author suggests introducing sanctions for illegal cross-border data transfer and the unlawful trade of personal data.

In this work, the author compares the experiences of Poland and South Korea in the field of data protection. For instance, in Poland, criminal penalties are prescribed directly within the specialized law, while the Korean model –recognized by the European Union as one of the best in the world — successfully combines a special act with the norms of the Criminal Code.

Analyzing Ukrainian realities, the author notes that current initiatives (specifically Draft Law No. 8153) place significant emphasis on increasing fines but neglect changes to criminal legislation. Therefore, the article proposes supplementing the Criminal Code of Ukraine with a new Article 182-1. This step will help create a truly reliable data protection system that meets European standards and facilitates Ukraine’s integration into the EU.

Keywords: personal data, criminal law, GDPR, European integration, privacy protection, adequate level of protection, Article 182 of the CC of Ukraine, Draft Law No. 8153, international experience.

 References

  1. On the adequate protection of personal data by the Republic of Korea under the Personal Information Protection Act (notified under document C(2021) 9316): Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2022/254 of 17 December 2021. Official Journal of the European Union. 2022. URL: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dec_impl/2022/254/oj
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  3. Kebus V. Kryminalno-pravovyi zakhyst personalnykh danykh vidpovidno do zakonodavstva Ukrainy ta derzhav Yevropeiskoho Soiuzu. Modern scientific journal. 2023. № 2(2). S. 52–60. DOI: https://doi.org/10.36994/2786-9008-2023-2-7
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  5. Yakymenko B. Formation of the institute of personal data protection and experience of its implementation in the countries of the EU. Scientific Journal of the National Academy of Internal Affairs. 2023. Vol. 28, no. 3. 68–79. DOI: https://doi.org/10.56215/naia-herald/4.2023.68
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  7. General Data Protection Regulation: Regulation (EU) 2016/679 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such Oficial Journal of the European Union. 2016. L 119. URL: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj
  8. Kryminalnyi kodeks Ukrainy: Zakon Ukrainy vid 04.2001 № 2341-III. Vidomosti Verkhovnoi Rady Ukrainy. 2001. № 25–26. St. 131. URL: https://zakon.rada.gov.ua/laws/show/2341-14 (in Ukr.).
  9. O ochronie danych osobowych: Ustawa z dnia 10 maja 2018 Dz.U. 2018 poz. 1000. URL: https://isap.sejm.gov.pl/isap.nsf/DocDetails.xsp?id=WDU20180001000
  10. Pro zakhyst personalnykh danykh: proekt Zakonu Ukrainy vid 10.2022 № 8153. URL: https://itd.rada.gov.ua/billInfo/Bills/Card/40700  (in Ukr.).

Дата першого надходження рукопису до видання: 28.01.2026
Дата прийнятого до друку рукопису після рецензування: 09.04.2026
Дата публікації: 30.04.2026

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