Linking records could serve as a useful tool for scientific research and as a facilitator for local policymaking. This article examines the challenges and opportunities for researchers to lawfully link routinely collected health and education data with cohort data of children when using it as a tool for scientific research in Portugal. Such linking can be lawfully conducted in Portugal if three requirements are met. First, data processing pursues a legitimate purpose, such as scientific research. Secondly, data linking complies with the legal obligations of research entities and researchers, acting as data controllers or processors, and it respects the rights of children as data subjects. Finally, data linking is based on the explicit written consent of those with parental responsibility for the child. So far, the implementation of the General Data Protection Regulation in Portugal has not facilitated record linkage. It is argued that further harmonised implementation of that Regulation across European Union and European Economic Area Member States, establishing a minimum shared denominator for record linkage in scientific research for the common good, including without explicit consent, is needed.

中文翻译：

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记录葡萄牙儿童常规数据和队列数据的联系：使用记录联系作为科学研究工具时的挑战和机遇

关联记录可以作为科学研究的有用工具和地方决策的促进者。本文探讨了研究人员在将常规收集的健康和教育数据与儿童队列数据合法关联起来作为葡萄牙科学研究工具时面临的挑战和机遇。如果满足三个要求，则可以在葡萄牙合法地进行此类链接。首先，数据处理追求合法目的，例如科学研究。其次，数据链接符合研究实体和研究人员作为数据控制者或处理者的法律义务，尊重儿童作为数据主体的权利。最后，数据链接是基于那些对孩子负有父母责任的人的明确书面同意。迄今为止，葡萄牙通用数据保护条例的实施并未促进记录链接。有人认为，需要在欧盟和欧洲经济区成员国之间进一步协调实施该条例，为共同利益的科学研究建立一个最低限度的共享分母，包括在未经明确同意的情况下。