Processing of personal data at the Customs Laboratory

Purpose of processing personal data

Personal data are processed at the Customs Laboratory in different tasks, these are: 

• steering and development tasks
• Customs’ control examinations of consumer goods, foodstuffs, fuels and taxation 
• examinations assigned by different authorities and businesses
• compliance and health checks for fruit and vegetables
• the sampling function
• the quality assurance of the Customs Laboratory 

In addition to these, personal data are processed in the systems of the Customs Laboratory in tasks of the Customs’ Product Safety Unit, these are 

• official tasks related to product safety controls
• decisions and related measures based on the Food Act, Consumer Safety Act, the Act on Cosmetic Products and the Chemicals Act

Categories of personal data

The following data are recorded or may be recorded at the Customs Laboratory: 

• information on companies and their personnel such as: first and last name, email address, telephone number, address, security clearance and its validity as well as business ID
• first and last name of customers and Customs’ personnel as well as contact information such as email, telephone number and address as well as registration number of a vehicle and registration number of a means of transport, if required 

At the Customs Laboratory and the Product Safety Unit, personal data can be grouped as follows: 

• personal data related to steering and development tasks of the Customs Laboratory
• personal data related to Customs’ sampling and controls of fruits and vegetables and laboratory examinations
• personal data used in quality maintenance tasks by the Customs Laboratory
• personal data in decisions and notifications by the Product Safety Unit (personal data of contact persons in companies)
• personnel of service providers with approval to work in the facilities of the Customs Laboratory 

Sources of personal data

The personal data are obtained from Customs’ different units/departments, from companies or the persons themselves. 

Regular disclosures of personal data

The data of the Customs Laboratory are disclosed to the Product Safety Unit, the Food Authority and the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency in accordance with legislation and official tasks. Data of companies are released to them as agreed. 

The data of the Product Safety Unit are disclosed to the Food Authority and the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency in accordance with legislation and official tasks. Data of companies are released to them as agreed. 

Based on the performance of official tasks, data can be transferred to Customs’ other functions or to other parties, which are the Tax Administration, the Police, the Ministry of the Environment, municipalities, the National Supervisory Authority for Welfare and Health (Valvira) and the Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea. Furthermore, data can be transferred to the National Archives of Finland if they are to be stored indefinitely. 

The personal data of the Customs Laboratory and the Product Safety Unit are processed by personnel according to their user rights. 

Personal data retention and disposal times

Personal data gathered through processes at the Customs Laboratory are stored for a period of 6-25 years in accordance with statutory obligations and as agreed in the assignments. 

If the statutory basis for retaining personal data has ended, the data are deleted in accordance with Customs’ normal practice based on an annual review. 

Contact person of the data controller and additional information

Anu Kallinen
anu.kallinen@tulli.fi