What are cookies?
A cookie is a small text file that a website stores on your computer or mobile device when you visit the site.
- First party cookies are cookies set by the website you are visiting. Only that website can read them. In addition, a website might potentially use external services, which also set their own cookies, known as third-party cookies.
- Persistent cookies are cookies saved on your computer and that are not deleted automatically when you quit your browser, unlike a session cookie, which is deleted when you quit your browser.
Every time you visit the EPPO website, you will be prompted to accept or refuse cookies.
The purpose is to enable the site to remember your preferences (such as user name, language, etc.) for a certain period of time. That way, you do not have to re-enter them when browsing around the site during the same visit.
Cookies can also be used to establish anonymised statistics about the browsing experience on the website.
How do we use cookies?
The EPPO website is provided and hosted by the European Commission (see the EPPO website Disclaimer) and mostly uses “first-party cookies”, as further explained under the Cookies Policy for European Commission’s Websites (the “EC Policy”). These are cookies set and controlled by the European Commission, not by any external organisation. However, to view some of our pages, you will have to accept cookies from external organisations.
The 3 types of first-party cookie used are to:
- store visitor preferences (a listing of these exact cookies can be found under the EC Policy)
- if you have agreed to, or refused, this site’s cookie policy
- if you have already replied to any survey pop-up (about how helpful the site content was) – so you won't be asked again
- allow the website to function
- certain technical cookies are used without individual consent, in the absence of which the website could not function. (a listing of these exact cookies can be found under the EC Policy)
- gather anonymous analytics data (about user behaviour)
- these simply assess how you interact with our website – as an anonymous user (the data gathered does not identify you personally) and can be refused via the banner and cookie preferences (a listing of these exact cookies can be found under the EC Policy). Analytics cookies are not shared with any third party other than those necessary for the maintenance and developments of the website, such as contractors etc.
- For the specific use of the analytics, please see the EPPO website Disclaimer, concerning also the dedicated anonymous data collected by Europa analytics, the corporate service that monitors and evaluates the effectiveness and efficiency of the European Commission's websites.
Third Party cookies:
Some of our pages may display content from external providers, e.g. YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. In order to view this third-party content, you would first have to accept their specific terms and conditions. This includes their cookie policies, which the EPPO has no control over or responsibility for. If you do not view this content, no third-party cookies are installed on your device.
Possible third-party providers on the EPPO website:
You Tube
Internet Archive
Google Maps
Twitter
TV1
Vimeo
Microsoft
Facebook
Google
LinkedIn
Livestream
SoundCloud
European Parliament
These third-party services are outside of the control of the EPPO, as is the accuracy of the links, despite regular checks. Providers may, at any time, change their terms of service, purpose and use of cookies, etc. The EPPO is in no way responsible for results stemming from the acceptance of the above, nor by relying on the information provided in the links above. Visitors should inform themselves through the respective third parties public notices to come to an informed decision as to whether or not to accept them.
Further information, source of the above, and contact:
In case further questions or details are required, please consult the EC Policy, from which the above text and descriptions have been taken. Contact can be made through their site, or if it concerns the EPPO, via info (at) eppo.europa.eu.