Privacy Policy

Last updated: 20/07/2026

1. Introduction

FIT4CEA (Futureproof Innovations and Technologies for Controlled Environment Agriculture) is a European research and innovation project funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme (Grant Agreement No. 101287460).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal data when you visit our website at fit4cea.eu or interact with us through other channels. We are committed to protecting your privacy and processing your personal data in full compliance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and all applicable national data protection legislation, as well as the communication and dissemination obligations set out by Horizon Europe.

This policy applies to all data collected through our website, contact forms, newsletter subscriptions, event registrations, surveys, and any other project-related interactions.

2. Who We Are – Data Controller

The FIT4CEA project is coordinated by Wageningen University, which acts as the Project Coordinator. Personal data collected via this website and through project activities are processed jointly by the project partners for the implementation of project activities.

Project Coordinator: Professor Leo Marcelis
Email: leo.marcelis@wur.nl
General Project Contact: info@fit4cea.eu
Data Protection Officer: Tijmen Kerstens – data.hpp@wur.nl
Address: Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB Wageningen, Netherlands

Wageningen University, as Project Coordinator, acts as the primary contact point for data subjects for matters relating to joint processing activities. The respective responsibilities of the joint controllers, within the partnership, are set out in the internal project Consortium Agreement and are available upon request.

3. Legal Framework for Processing

We process personal data in accordance with the principles of lawfulness, fairness, transparency, purpose limitation, data minimisation, accuracy, storage limitation, integrity, and confidentiality.

The legal bases for processing your personal data, as defined under Article 6 of the GDPR, are as follows.

• For responding to enquiries via our contact form, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(e), which covers processing  based on our legitimate interest necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest, specifically the communication obligations of an EU funded project.

• For newsletter subscriptions and the use of analytics cookies, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(a), as we rely on your explicit consent.

• For website security logs and essential maintenance, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(f), which allows processing based on our legitimate interest in ensuring the security and functionality of our website.

• For mandatory project reporting to the European Commission, the legal basis is Article 6(1)(c), which covers compliance with a legal obligation.

4. What Personal Data We Collect

We limit our data collection to only what is strictly necessary for project related purposes.

Data You Provide Voluntarily

When you interact with us, you may provide the following information.

• Through contact forms: your name, email address, organisation (optional), and the content of your message.

• Through newsletter subscriptions: your email address, and optionally your name and organisation.

• Through event registrations: your name, email address, organisation, professional role or function, and any other participation related details you choose to provide.

• Through surveys and questionnaires: your survey responses, professional role, organisation, and any personal data you voluntarily include in your answers.

Data Collected Automatically

When you browse our website, we may automatically collect limited usage data, including the following.

• Your IP address, which is anonymised where technically possible.

• Your browser type and device information.

• Your operating system.

• The pages you visit and the time you spend on each page.

• The date and time of your access.

• The referring URL that led you to our site.

5. How We Collect Data

We collect personal data through the following means.

• Contact, newsletter, survey, and event registration forms available on our website.

• Direct correspondence via email.

• Cookies and similar tracking technologies, which are activated only after we obtain your prior consent through our cookie banner.

6. Purposes of Processing

We use your personal data exclusively for the following project related purposes.

• Responding to your enquiries and requests.

• Disseminating project activities, findings, and results.

• Sending project related information and newsletters to subscribers who have given their consent.

• Managing event registrations and facilitating your participation.

• Conducting surveys and research activities to support project objectives.

• Fulfilling mandatory reporting and documentation obligations to the European Commission.

• Analysing website usage in an aggregated and statistical manner.

• Improving website functionality and the overall user experience.

• Ensuring the security, stability, and proper maintenance of our website.

We strictly confirm that no personal data will be used for commercial marketing purposes.

7. Recipients of Your Data

Your personal data is accessed only by authorised personnel on a strict need to know basis. The recipients include the following.

• Authorised members of the FIT4CEA consortium who require the data for project implementation.

• The European Commission services when such data is required for formal project reporting.

• Contracted technical service providers who act as data processors under binding agreements.

We never sell, rent, trade, or lease your personal data to third parties. All consortium partners and service providers are contractually bound to process your data in full compliance with the GDPR and all applicable data protection laws.

8. Third Party Services and International Data Transfers

We use a limited number of third party services to support our communication and website operations.

• Analytics tools are used solely for statistical analysis of website traffic, and these are activated only after you give your consent via the cookie banner.

• Contact form management services are used to receive and manage the enquiries submitted through our website.

• Newsletter distribution platforms are used to manage subscriptions and send out project communications.

Some of these service providers may process data outside the European Economic Area (EEA). In such cases, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place, such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses, to guarantee that your data receives a level of protection equivalent to that offered within the EEA.

9. Data Retention Periods

We retain your personal data only for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy. The specific retention periods are as follows.

• Data from contact requests and general enquiries is retained for a period of up to 12 months after the query is resolved.

• Analytics data is retained for a maximum of 14 months after collection.

• Newsletter subscription data is retained until you actively unsubscribe from the mailing list.

• Project documentation and official records that contain personal data are retained for up to 5 years after the final payment is received from the European Commission, in compliance with EU auditing requirements.

Once the applicable retention period has expired, we will securely delete your personal data from our active databases. An anonymised version of the data, from which you can no longer be identified, may be retained indefinitely for long term research and statistical purposes.

10. Your Rights

Under European data protection laws, you have the following rights regarding your personal data.

• Right of access: You have the right to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.

• Right to rectification: You have the right to request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete data.

• Right to erasure: You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data, also known as the right to be forgotten.

• Right to restriction: You have the right to request that we restrict the processing of your data under certain circumstances.

• Right to object: You have the right to object to the processing of your data, particularly where we rely on legitimate interests.

• Right to data portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine readable format.

• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on your consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time, without affecting the lawfulness of processing based on consent before its withdrawal.

• Right to lodge a complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your national Data Protection Authority if you believe that your data protection rights have been infringed.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us directly at info@fit4cea.eu. We will respond to your request within one month, as required by law.

11. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, accidental loss, misuse, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Data is stored on secure servers and is accessible only to authorised team members and contracted service providers, all of whom are bound by strict confidentiality and data protection agreements.

12. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

This website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies.

• Essential cookies are strictly necessary for the basic functioning and security of the website. They are placed automatically and do not require consent.

• Analytics cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with our website, allowing us to measure and improve performance. These cookies are only placed after you have given your explicit consent through our cookie banner.

You can manage or withdraw your cookie consent at any time through the cookie settings available on our website.

13. Children’s Data
This website is not directed at children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under 16. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us so that we can take appropriate action.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, legal requirements, or project activities. Any updates will be posted on this page, and we will indicate the date of the latest revision at the top of the policy. We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your data.

15. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the way we handle your personal data, please do not hesitate to contact us.
General Project Contact: info@fit4cea.eu
Project Coordinator: Professor Leo Marcelis, leo.marcelis@wur.nl