On December 15, the European Commission put forward the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which—subject to formal adoption by the European Parliament in 2016—will replace the 1995 Data Protection Directive, the existing basis for national data protection laws in the European Union. Historically, data protection authorities have expressed concern over "fragmentation in the way personal data protection is implemented across the union, legal uncertainty[,] and a widespread public perception that there are significant risks associated notably with online activity." The GDPR is meant to address these concerns by increasing data protection and clarifying the rights of consumers with respect to their data.