PRIVACY POLICY

1. Introduction

Effective Date: 7 July 2026

Last Updated: 7 July 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how EU Trade Network Ltd. ("EU Trade Network", "we", "our", or "us") collects, uses, stores, protects and shares personal data when you visit or use www.eutradenetwork.com together with all related websites, applications, services, business directory listings and features (collectively, the "Platform").

We are committed to protecting your privacy and processing personal data fairly, lawfully and transparently. This Privacy Policy describes what information we collect, why we collect it, how long we keep it, with whom we share it and the rights available to you under applicable data protection legislation.

This Privacy Policy applies to all visitors, registered users, businesses, advertisers, customers, suppliers, partners and any other individuals who access or interact with the Platform.

By using the Platform, creating an account, publishing a business listing, contacting us or otherwise interacting with our services, you acknowledge that your personal data may be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

This Privacy Policy should be read together with our:

Terms of Use;
Cookie Policy;
Refund Policy (where applicable);
Business Listing Policy; and
any additional privacy notices presented when specific services are used.

Where this Privacy Policy conflicts with a separate privacy notice provided for a particular service or feature, the more specific notice shall take precedence for that processing activity.

2. Data Controller

For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 ("GDPR"), the UK GDPR where applicable, and other relevant data protection legislation, the data controller responsible for processing your personal data is:

EU Trade Network Ltd.
Website: www.eutradenetwork.com
Email: privacy@eutradenetwork.com
Registered Office: [Insert Registered Office Address]
Company Registration Number: [Insert Registration Number]

If we are legally required to appoint a Data Protection Officer ("DPO"), or where one has been voluntarily appointed, the contact details will be published on the Platform and may be used for all privacy-related enquiries.

Questions regarding this Privacy Policy, requests concerning your personal data or complaints relating to our privacy practices may be directed to the contact details above.

3. Scope of this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to personal data processed by EU Trade Network Ltd. in connection with the operation of the Platform, including information collected when you:

visit or browse our website;
create or manage a user account;
publish or edit a business listing;
purchase premium listings or other paid services;
submit enquiries through our contact forms;
subscribe to newsletters or marketing communications;
participate in surveys, promotions or events;
communicate with our customer support team;
interact with cookies, analytics technologies or similar tools;
otherwise engage with the Platform or our services.

This Privacy Policy applies only to information processed by EU Trade Network Ltd. It does not apply to third-party websites, payment providers, advertisers, social media platforms or other external services that may be linked from the Platform.

Where you follow links to third-party websites or engage directly with businesses listed on the Platform, your interactions will be governed by the privacy policies of those third parties, and we encourage you to review them carefully.

The Platform is primarily intended for businesses and commercial users operating within the European Union and internationally. It is not designed for personal social networking or consumer-facing communication services.

4. Personal Data We Collect

The categories of personal data we collect depend on how you interact with the Platform, the services you use and the information you choose to provide. We only collect personal data that is relevant, adequate and limited to what is necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.

4.1 Information You Provide Directly

When you create an account, publish a business listing, purchase services or contact us, you may provide information including:

full name;
job title or position;
business or company name;
business registration information;
VAT number where applicable;
email address;
telephone number;
business address;
country and region;
username and account credentials;
profile photograph or company logo;
business descriptions and listing content;
marketing preferences and communication settings;
correspondence sent to us through forms, email or customer support.

4.2 Business Listing Information

Where you publish a business listing, some information is intentionally made available to other users and search engines to enable the Platform to function as a public business directory.

Public listing information may include:

company name;
business description;
industry sector;
products and services;
website address;
public email address;
business telephone number;
registered business location;
logos, photographs and promotional material;
social media links;
certifications, awards and accreditations that you choose to publish.

You remain responsible for deciding which information you make publicly available through your business listing.

4.3 Payment Information

If you purchase premium listings, subscriptions or other paid services, payment transactions are processed by trusted third-party payment providers.

We may receive limited payment-related information such as:

transaction identifiers;
payment status;
subscription details;
billing address;
invoice information.

We do not store complete payment card numbers, CVV codes or other sensitive payment credentials on our servers.

4.4 Information Collected Automatically

When you use the Platform, certain technical information may be collected automatically, including:

IP address;
browser type and version;
device type and operating system;
language preferences;
time zone settings;
date and time of visits;
pages viewed and navigation paths;
referring websites;
clickstream data;
device identifiers;
cookie identifiers and similar technologies;
error logs and diagnostic information.

4.5 Communications

If you contact us, submit enquiries or communicate through the Platform, we may collect:

copies of emails and messages;
customer support requests;
feedback and survey responses;
records of communications where necessary for customer service, security or legal compliance.

4.6 Information from Third Parties

We may receive information from trusted third parties, including:

payment processors;
identity verification providers;
authentication services;
analytics providers;
advertising partners;
public business registers;
social media platforms where you choose to connect your account;
fraud prevention and security services.

Any information received from third parties will be processed in accordance with this Privacy Policy and applicable data protection laws.

5. How We Collect Personal Data

We collect personal data through a variety of methods depending on your interactions with the Platform.

5.1 Information You Provide

We collect information that you voluntarily provide when you:

register an account;
publish or edit a business listing;
purchase subscriptions or premium services;
subscribe to newsletters;
contact customer support;
participate in surveys or promotional campaigns;
submit forms or upload documents.

5.2 Automatic Collection

Certain information is collected automatically through cookies, server logs, browser technologies and similar tools whenever you visit or interact with the Platform. These technologies help us maintain security, improve functionality, analyse traffic and enhance user experience.

5.3 Third-Party Sources

We may also receive personal data from third parties where:

you authenticate using an external identity provider;
payment providers confirm successful transactions;
publicly available business registers provide verification information;
service providers assist with fraud prevention, analytics or security monitoring.

Where required by law, we ensure that any third-party data we receive has been collected and shared lawfully.

6. Legal Bases for Processing Personal Data

Under the GDPR and other applicable data protection legislation, we process personal data only where a lawful basis exists.

Depending on the circumstances, our legal bases include:

Performance of a Contract — where processing is necessary to provide the Platform, create accounts, manage business listings, process payments or deliver services you have requested.
Legitimate Interests — where processing is necessary for operating, improving and securing the Platform, preventing fraud, responding to enquiries, analysing usage or protecting our legal rights, provided those interests do not override your fundamental rights and freedoms.
Legal Obligations — where we must process information to comply with applicable laws, tax regulations, accounting requirements, court orders or lawful requests from public authorities.
Consent — where required by law, including for certain marketing communications or the use of non-essential cookies. You may withdraw your consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal.
Vital Interests — where processing is necessary to protect the life or physical safety of an individual in exceptional circumstances.

Where we rely upon legitimate interests, we carefully assess the necessity and proportionality of the processing to ensure your rights and freedoms remain adequately protected.

7. How We Use Your Personal Data

We use your personal data only for legitimate business purposes and only where a lawful basis exists under applicable data protection legislation. The way in which we use your information depends upon your relationship with us and the services you use.

Your personal data may be used for one or more of the following purposes:

creating, managing and securing your user account;
publishing and maintaining your business listing;
processing purchases, subscriptions and payments;
verifying business information where appropriate;
responding to enquiries and customer support requests;
facilitating communication between Platform users;
improving search functionality and user experience;
detecting, preventing and investigating fraud, abuse or security incidents;
complying with legal and regulatory obligations;
maintaining internal records, accounting and audit requirements;
sending service-related notifications;
administering promotions, surveys or competitions where applicable;
developing new products, services and Platform features;
performing statistical analysis and business reporting using aggregated or anonymised information where possible.

7.1 Service Communications

We may contact you regarding matters directly related to your account or the services you use. These communications may include account verification, password resets, security alerts, billing notifications, updates relating to your listings, changes to our services and legally required notices.

These communications are considered necessary for providing the Platform and generally cannot be opted out of while you maintain an active account.

7.2 Marketing Communications

Where permitted by applicable law, we may send newsletters, product announcements, industry updates, promotional offers or other marketing communications relating to our services.

Where consent is required, we will only send marketing communications after obtaining your consent. You may unsubscribe at any time by using the unsubscribe link included in our emails or by updating your communication preferences within your account.

Withdrawing your consent will not affect service-related communications necessary for the operation of your account.

8. Business Listings and Public Information

EU Trade Network operates as a public business directory. As a result, certain information submitted as part of your business listing is intentionally made available to visitors, registered users, search engines and other businesses.

Publicly available information may include:

company name;
business description;
products and services;
industry classifications;
company logo and promotional images;
website address;
public business email address;
business telephone number;
registered business location;
social media profiles;
certifications, licences and awards that you choose to publish.

By publishing a business listing, you acknowledge that this information may be indexed by internet search engines, copied into search results and accessed by users located in different jurisdictions.

While you may edit or remove your listing through your account, we cannot guarantee the immediate removal of information already indexed or cached by third-party search engines or archived by independent third parties.

You should carefully consider the information you choose to make publicly available through the Platform.

8.1 User-Generated Content

Business listings, company descriptions, photographs, catalogues, promotional material, reviews and similar content submitted by users remain the responsibility of the person or organisation that published them.

You warrant that any information you publish:

is accurate and up to date;
does not infringe the rights of others;
complies with applicable laws;
does not contain confidential information that should remain private.

9. Cookies and Similar Technologies

The Platform uses cookies, pixels, local storage and similar technologies to improve functionality, remember user preferences, analyse website usage, maintain security and, where permitted, support advertising and marketing activities.

A cookie is a small text file stored on your device when you visit a website. Cookies may be temporary (session cookies) or remain on your device for a specified period (persistent cookies).

9.1 Types of Cookies We Use

Strictly Necessary Cookies – essential for the operation, security and functionality of the Platform.
Preference Cookies – remember your settings and improve your user experience.
Analytics Cookies – help us understand how visitors use the Platform so we can improve our services.
Performance Cookies – measure website performance and identify technical issues.
Marketing Cookies – where permitted, support advertising, remarketing and campaign effectiveness.

9.2 Consent

Where required by applicable law, non-essential cookies are placed on your device only after you have provided your consent through our cookie management platform or cookie banner.

You may withdraw or change your cookie preferences at any time using the cookie preferences tool available on the Platform.

9.3 Browser Controls

Most web browsers allow you to manage or disable cookies through their settings. Blocking certain cookies may affect the functionality and performance of the Platform.

Further information regarding our use of cookies, including cookie categories, retention periods and third-party providers, is available in our separate Cookie Policy.

10. Sharing and Disclosure of Personal Data

We treat your personal data with care and confidentiality. We do not sell your personal data to third parties. We only disclose personal information where it is necessary to operate the Platform, provide our services, comply with legal obligations or protect our legitimate interests.

Depending on the circumstances, we may share personal data with the following categories of recipients:

trusted technology and hosting providers;
payment processors and financial institutions;
email delivery and communication service providers;
identity verification and fraud prevention providers;
analytics and website performance providers;
cloud storage and infrastructure providers;
professional advisers, including lawyers, accountants and auditors;
government authorities or regulators where disclosure is legally required;
courts, law enforcement agencies or competent public authorities where required by applicable law.

10.1 Service Providers

We engage carefully selected third-party service providers to perform services on our behalf. These providers may process personal data only under our documented instructions, are subject to appropriate contractual obligations and are required to implement suitable security measures.

Examples include website hosting, cloud infrastructure, customer support software, payment processing, analytics, email delivery and security monitoring.

10.2 Business Transfers

If EU Trade Network Ltd. undergoes a merger, acquisition, corporate restructuring, investment transaction, sale of assets or similar business transfer, personal data may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations and applicable data protection laws.

10.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose personal data where we reasonably believe disclosure is necessary to:

comply with applicable laws or legal obligations;
respond to lawful requests from public authorities;
protect the rights, property or safety of EU Trade Network, our users or third parties;
prevent fraud, cybercrime or other unlawful activities;
establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

Where legally permitted, we will seek to minimise the scope of any disclosure and will only provide information necessary for the relevant purpose.

11. International Data Transfers

EU Trade Network may use service providers located within and outside the European Economic Area ("EEA"), the United Kingdom or Switzerland. As a result, your personal data may be transferred to countries that have different data protection laws.

Whenever personal data is transferred internationally, we implement appropriate safeguards designed to ensure that your information receives a level of protection equivalent to that required under applicable data protection legislation.

11.1 Transfer Safeguards

Depending on the destination country and applicable legal requirements, safeguards may include:

European Commission Adequacy Decisions;
Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs);
the UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) where applicable;
approved certification mechanisms;
other legally recognised safeguards permitted under applicable law.

Where no appropriate safeguard exists, we will transfer personal data only where a specific legal derogation applies under applicable legislation.

12. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including providing our services, complying with legal obligations, resolving disputes, enforcing agreements and protecting our legitimate business interests.

Retention periods vary depending upon the type of information involved, the services used and our legal obligations.

12.1 Typical Retention Periods

Account Information – retained while your account remains active and for a reasonable period following closure where necessary.
Business Listings – retained until removed by you or deleted in accordance with our Platform policies.
Billing and Financial Records – retained for the period required by applicable accounting and tax legislation.
Customer Support Communications – retained for service quality, dispute resolution and legal compliance.
Technical Logs – retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for security, diagnostics and fraud prevention.

Where retention periods expire, personal data will be securely deleted, anonymised or otherwise disposed of using appropriate technical and organisational measures, unless continued retention is required or permitted by law.

Certain information may be retained for longer where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal claims, comply with regulatory obligations or resolve disputes.

13. Security of Personal Data

EU Trade Network Ltd. is committed to protecting the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the personal data entrusted to us. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal data against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or unauthorised access.

While we continually review and improve our security practices, no method of transmitting data over the internet or storing electronic information can be guaranteed to be completely secure. Accordingly, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

13.1 Security Measures

Depending on the nature of the processing, our security measures may include:

encrypted communications using SSL/TLS technology;
secure authentication and password protection;
role-based access controls and least-privilege access principles;
firewalls, malware protection and intrusion monitoring;
regular software updates and security patch management;
secure cloud hosting and infrastructure management;
system monitoring, logging and audit procedures;
staff training regarding information security and data protection;
appropriate contractual obligations for third-party service providers.

13.2 User Responsibilities

You also play an important role in protecting your personal information. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and should:

choose a strong, unique password;
avoid sharing your login credentials with others;
log out of shared or public devices;
notify us immediately if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.

We are not responsible for unauthorised access resulting from your failure to protect your account credentials or devices.

13.3 Personal Data Breaches

If we become aware of a personal data breach that is likely to result in a risk to the rights and freedoms of individuals, we will respond in accordance with applicable data protection laws, including notifying the relevant supervisory authority and affected individuals where required.

14. Your Privacy Rights

Subject to applicable data protection legislation, including the GDPR, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data.

14.1 Right of Access

You may request confirmation of whether we process your personal data and obtain a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

14.2 Right to Rectification

You may request that inaccurate or incomplete personal data be corrected or updated. Where possible, you may also update certain information directly through your account.

14.3 Right to Erasure

In certain circumstances, you may request that we delete your personal data where there is no continuing legal basis for its processing. This right is subject to legal and regulatory exceptions, including where we must retain information to comply with legal obligations or establish, exercise or defend legal claims.

14.4 Right to Restrict Processing

You may request that we temporarily restrict the processing of your personal data under circumstances permitted by applicable law.

14.5 Right to Object

Where processing is based on our legitimate interests, you may object to such processing. We will consider your request and cease processing where required by law, unless compelling legitimate grounds exist.

14.6 Right to Data Portability

Where legally applicable, you may request a copy of your personal data in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable format or request that it be transferred to another data controller where technically feasible.

14.7 Right to Withdraw Consent

Where processing is based on your consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing carried out before consent was withdrawn.

14.8 Right to Lodge a Complaint

If you believe your personal data has been processed unlawfully, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent data protection supervisory authority in your country of residence, place of work or the location of the alleged infringement.

Before submitting a complaint to a supervisory authority, we encourage you to contact us first so that we have an opportunity to address your concerns.

14.9 Exercising Your Rights

Requests relating to your personal data may be submitted using the contact details provided at the end of this Privacy Policy.

To protect your privacy and security, we may request additional information to verify your identity before responding to your request.

We will respond within the timeframes required by applicable law and will not normally charge a fee unless a request is manifestly unfounded, excessive or repetitive.

15. Automated Decision-Making and Profiling

EU Trade Network Ltd. does not make decisions based solely on automated processing, including profiling, that produce legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affect you within the meaning of Article 22 of the GDPR.

We may use automated systems to improve the operation, security and performance of the Platform, including fraud detection, spam prevention, content moderation, website analytics and search functionality. These activities do not replace meaningful human decision-making where required by applicable law.

Should our use of automated decision-making materially change in the future, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly and, where required, we will provide appropriate notice and obtain any necessary consent.

16. Children's Privacy

The Platform is intended primarily for businesses, business professionals and other users who are at least 18 years of age. Our services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect or solicit personal data from anyone under the age of 18.

If you are under the age of 18, you should not create an account, submit personal information or otherwise use the Platform.

If we become aware that personal data relating to a child has been collected without appropriate legal authority or parental consent where required by law, we will take reasonable steps to delete that information without undue delay.

If you believe that a child has provided personal data through the Platform, please contact us using the details provided in this Privacy Policy so that we can investigate the matter.

17. Third-Party Websites and Services

The Platform may contain links to third-party websites, applications, social media platforms and other online services that are owned and operated by independent third parties.

These links are provided solely for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement, recommendation or approval of any third-party website, product or service.

EU Trade Network Ltd. does not control and is not responsible for the privacy practices, security measures, content or availability of third-party websites or services. Any personal data you provide directly to a third party is governed exclusively by that third party's own privacy policy and terms of use.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external websites or services before submitting personal information or conducting transactions with them.

17.1 Third-Party Service Providers

To operate the Platform, we may use carefully selected third-party providers for services such as:

website hosting and cloud infrastructure;
payment processing;
website analytics;
email delivery;
security monitoring and fraud prevention;
customer support tools;
mapping and location services;
content delivery networks (CDNs);
marketing and communication services.

These providers process personal data only where necessary to provide services on our behalf and are required to protect your information in accordance with applicable data protection laws and contractual obligations.

18. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our business operations, technology, legal requirements or data processing activities.

When we make changes, we will revise the "Last Updated" date shown at the beginning of this Privacy Policy.

Where changes are material or where required by applicable law, we will provide appropriate notice through the Platform, by email or through your account before the changes become effective.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically so that you remain informed about how your personal information is collected, used and protected.

Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of the updated Privacy Policy constitutes your acknowledgement of the revised version, except where applicable law requires your express consent.

19. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, your personal data or the way we process information, please contact us using the details below:

We are committed to responding to privacy-related enquiries promptly and in accordance with applicable data protection legislation.

20. Supervisory Authority and Complaints

If you believe that the processing of your personal data infringes applicable data protection legislation, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the competent data protection supervisory authority in the country where:

you habitually reside;
you work;
or the alleged infringement occurred.

We respectfully request that you contact us first before lodging a formal complaint, as we are committed to resolving privacy concerns fairly, transparently and without undue delay whenever possible.

Nothing in this Privacy Policy limits or restricts any rights or remedies available to you under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the UK GDPR or other applicable data protection legislation.