Cookie Policy

Last Updated: May 24, 2024

Thank you for visiting our website!

We, RPO Scientific (RPO Group), a limited liability company incorporated and existing under the laws of Belgium, with registered office at Bassebeekstraat 39, 9031 Ghent, Belgium and registered with the Crossroads Bank of Enterprises with company number 0766.263.079 (RLE Ghent, section Ghent) (hereinafter, "RPO", "we" or "us") use cookies primarily to improve the (browsing) experience of visitors to our website as well as to ensure the functioning of our website.

Via this cookie policy, we wish to inform you which cookies we use, why we do that and how you can delete or disable cookies.

This cookie policy may be amended by us if new developments warrant it. You can always find the most up-to-date version of the cookie policy on our website.
  1. What is a cookie?

 

A cookie is generally a small text and numerical file that we send and store in your web browser, on your mobile device and/or on your computer’s hard drive when you visit our website. Cookies help us, for example, to remember your preferences when using our website (e.g. your choice of language), unless you have adjusted your browser settings so that it will refuse cookies.

 

  1. Types of cookies

 

There are various types of cookies. Cookies can be classified according to their origin.

  • First party cookies are cookies that are placed by us on your device in order to ensure the proper functioning of the website and to enhance the quality of our products and services.
  • Third party cookies are cookies placed by another domain name than that of our website. If a user visits a website and a third party places a cookie via that website, this is a third party cookie. For cookies placed by third parties, we refer you to the statements that these parties provide on their respective websites. Please note: we cannot influence the content of these statements or the content of the cookies of these third parties.

 

In terms of function, we can also classify cookies into:

  • Essential or strictly necessary cookies (as their name suggests) are necessary in order to use a website to function properly, e.g. by establishing a particular connection. We may place those cookies without your prior consent;
  • Non-essential cookies are cookies that may be placed for statistical, social, targeting or commercial purposes. They have nothing to do with purely technical support of the website. Non-functional cookies can be first party or third party cookies and may only be placed if you have given us your prior consent.

Different types of non-essential cookies can be distinguished:

 

    • Functional cookies ensure that certain non-essential functionalities of the website work properly.
    • Cookies for statistical purposes, among others things, allow us to determine which pages of the website you visit, where your computer is located, etc.
    • Cookies for social purposes allow the user to share the content of the website with others via social media.
    • Cookies for targeting purposes allow us to create a profile based on your browsing behaviour, so that the ads shown are tailored to your interests.
    • Cookies for commercial purposes record how many and what ads have been shown to the user.

 

Cookies can also be classified according to their lifespan:

  • Limited duration cookies: These cookies remain present on the user’s device for the duration defined in the cookie. They are activated every time the user visits the website which placed this cookie. Most non-essential cookies are limited duration cookies.
  • Session cookies: These cookies allow us to simplify a user’s actions and link them to each other during a browser session. A browser session starts when a user opens the browser screen and ends when they close the browser screen. Session cookies are placed temporarily. As soon as you close the browser, all session cookies are removed. Most essential cookies are session cookies.

 

  1. Information about our use of cookies

 

When you use our website, we do not place any cookies.

 

Please read our privacy policy to find out how we process and protect personal data, how long we retain it and what privacy rights you have.

 

  1. Accepting cookies

 

When you visit our website for the first, a cookie banner will appear. Via this cookie banner, we inform you about the cookies we use and we ask you if we can place non-essential cookies on your device. You are free to consent or not.

 

Please note that some functionalities on our website may not work or may not work fully if not all cookies would be accepted.

 

  1. Managing (deleting or disabling) cookies

 

If you do not want websites to place cookies on your computer or want to delete your cookies, you can change your cookie settings in your web browser.

 

These settings can generally be found in the ‘Options’ or ‘Preferences’ menu of your web browser. You can also adjust your settings so that your browser rejects all cookies or only the cookies of third parties.

 

To better understand these settings, the following links may be useful. If not, please use the ‘Help’ function in your web browser to obtain more information.

 

You can find useful information about cookies at: https://www.allaboutcookies.org/ and  https://www.youronlinechoices.com/uk/.

 

  1. Your rights

Your privacy rights

To give you more control over the processing of your personal data, you have various rights at your disposal. These rights are laid down, inter alia, in articles 15-22 of the GDPR.

You have the following rights:

  • The right to access the personal data we process about you (art. 15 GDPR):

You have the right to be informed by us at any time whether or not we are processing your personal data. If we are processing them, you have the right to access these personal data and to receive additional information about:

  1. the purposes of the processing;
  2. the categories of personal data concerned;
  3. the recipients or categories of recipients (in particular, recipients in third countries);
  4. the retention period or, if that is not possible, the criteria for determining that period;
  5. the existence of your privacy rights;
  6. the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority;
  7. the source of the personal data if we obtain personal data from a third party;
  8. whether we are using automated decision-making in respect of you.

If we cannot give you access to your personal data (e.g. due to legal obligations), we shall inform you as to why this is not possible.

You can also obtain a free copy, in an understandable format, of the processed personal data in an understandable format. Please note that we may charge a reasonable fee to cover our administrative costs for any additional copy you may request.

  • The ‘right to be forgotten’ (the right to request us to delete your personal data) (art. 17 GDPR):

In certain cases, you can request that we delete your personal data. Please also note that your right to be forgotten is not absolute. We are entitled to continue to store your personal data if this is necessary for, among other things, the execution of the agreement, compliance with a legal obligation, or the establishment, execution or substantiation of a legal claim. We shall inform you of this in more detail in our response to your request.

  • The right to rectification (art. 16 GDPR):

If your personal data is incorrect, out of date or incomplete, you can ask us to correct these inaccuracies or incomplete information.

  • The right to data portability (art. 20 GDPR):

Subject to certain conditions, you also have the right to have the personal data that you have provided to us for the performance of the agreement or for which you have given your consent, transferred by us to another controller. Insofar as technically possible, we shall provide your personal data directly to the new controller.

  • The right to restriction of processing (art. 18 GDPR):

If any of the following elements apply, you may request us to restrict the processing of your personal data:

  1. you dispute the accuracy of those personal data (in this case, its use shall be limited for a period that allows us to verify the accuracy of the personal data);
  2. the processing of your personal data is unlawful;
  3. we no longer need your personal data for the its purposes, but you need them in establishing, exercising or substantiating a legal claim;
  4. as long as no decision has been taken on exercising your right to object to the processing, you may request that the use of your personal data be restricted.
  • The right to object (art. 21 GDPR):

You can object to the processing of your personal data on the basis of your particular situation, if we process your personal data on the basis of legitimate interests or on the basis of a task of general interest. In this event, we shall cease the processing of your personal data, unless we can demonstrate compelling and legitimate grounds for processing which outweigh your own, or if the processing of the personal data is related to establishing, exercising or substantiating a legal claim.

  • The right not to be subject to automated decision-making (art. 22 GDPR):

You have the right not to be subject to a decision made exclusively on the basis of automated data processing that significantly affects you or has legal consequences and that is made without substantial human involvement.

You cannot exercise this right in following three situations:

  1. when automated decision-making is legally permitted (e.g. to prevent tax fraud);
  2. when automated decision-making is based on your explicit consent; or
  3. when automated decision-making is necessary for entering into, or performance of a contract (please note: we always endeavour to use less privacy-intrusive methods for entering into or performing the contract).
  • The right to withdraw your consent (Art. 7 GDPR):

If your personal data are processed on the basis of your consent, you may withdraw this consent at any time upon simple request.

Exercising your rights

To exercise these rights, you can contact us by using the contact details set out in Section ‘Do you still have questions?’.

In order to verify your identity when you wish to exercise these rights, we may ask you to send us a copy of the front side of your identity card. The image on your electronic identity card shall not be retained by us. We strongly advise you to “blackline” the image before transmitting a copy of your electronic identity card to us.

You can exercise the abovementioned rights free of charge, unless your request is manifestly unfounded or excessive (for instance due to its repetitive nature). In such cases, we shall be entitled to charge you a reasonable fee or to refuse to respond to your request.

 

You can also lodge a complaint with the competent supervisory authority. In Belgium, the competent supervisory authority is the Data Protection Authority, with the following contact details:

Website:

https://www.dataprotectionauthority.be

 

Contact details:

Data Protection Authority
Drukpersstraat 35, 1000 Brussels, Belgium

+32 (0)2 274 48 00

+32 (0)2 274 48 35

contact@apd-gba.be

 

  1. Do you still have questions?

 

You can always contact us via the following contact details:

E-mail : info@rpo-group.com

 

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