Cookies in general
A lot of websites make use of cookies. A cookie is a small text file that a website saves on a computer or mobile device when a user visits the site. It enables the website to remember user actions and preferences over a period of time. A user can choose to set up the browser to disable or delete cookies, but it is possible that parts of the website may not be functional.
There are different types of cookies:
- Necessary cookies: These cookies are essential in order to enable you to move around the website and use its features, such as accessing secure areas of the website. Without these cookies some services, like shopping baskets or e-billing, cannot be provided.
- Performance cookies: These cookies collect information about how visitors use a website, for instance which pages visitors go to most often, and if they get error messages from web pages. These cookies don’t collect information that identifies a visitor. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. It is only used to improve how a website works.
- Functionality cookies: These cookies allow the website to remember choices you make (such as your user name, language or the region you are in) and provide enhanced, more personal features. The information these cookies collect may be anonymized and they cannot track your browsing activity on other websites.
- Targeting or Advertising cookies: These cookies are used to deliver adverts more relevant to you and your interests. They are usually placed by advertising networks with the website operator’s permission. They remember that you have visited a website and this information is shared with other organizations such as advertisers. Quite often targeting or advertising cookies will be linked to site functionality provided by the other organization.
- Third party cookies: based on the type of cookies used by the relevant third party, the information that these cookies collect may include personal data.
Use of cookies by our website
In our website we make use of 2 types of cookies:
- Necessary cookies
We use the following cookie:
Cookie Name |
Source |
Usage |
Viewed_cookie_policy |
Our website domain |
Used to show the pop up message for cookie acceptance and to store the user selection. It lasts 1 year. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-non-necessary |
Our website domain |
Cookie that keeps track of which cookies you approved. It lasts 1 year. |
cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary |
Our website domain |
Cookie that keeps track of which cookies you approved. It lasts 1 year. |
- Performance Cookies (anonymized mode)
Our website uses also Google Analytics, a web analytics service provided by Google, Inc. (“Google”). Google Analytics uses “cookies”, to help the website analyze how users use the site.
Google Analytics is the most popular traffic measurement service, which is technically supported by cookies.
Our website uses the Google Analytics service to process anonymous data in order to improve the website, for example to decide which page to improve and how.
The Google Analytics service is owned by Google Inc., 1600 Amphitheater Pkwy, Mountain View, CA 94043-1351, United States, which has been certified in accordance with the Privacy Shield framework (https://www.privacyshield.gov/participant?id=a2zt000000001L5AAI), which provides appropriate safeguards to comply with the European data protection legislation.
Google’s cookies are used to store certain information, such as the length of the visit to our website, the type of browser used, the location from which the visit came and the frequency of the visit. In order to obtain this data, we allow Google Analytics to place cookies on the hard drive of the computer or other visitor’s electronic device. Every time you visit a different page within our website, your browser sends in an automatic, encrypted and anonymized method, data to the Google Analytics platform.
Within the Google Analytics service, our website uses the “Anonymize IP” feature (see more at https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/analyticsjs/ip-anonymization). With this feature, your IP address is limited by Google and anonymized when accessing the website.
For more information about Google’s data processing policy, you can find here (https://policies.google.com/) Google’s privacy policy and the use of cookies within Analytics here (https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/analyticsjs/cookie-usage), while technical information about Google Analytics cookies is available here (https://developers.google.com/analytics/devguides/collection/analyticsjs/cookie-usage).
You can totally block your data collection through Google Analytics by installing in your browser the add-on: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout .
Cookie Name |
Source |
Usage |
_ga |
Our website domain |
Used by Google Analytics to distinguish users by collecting information in anonymous form, such as browser information, visitors’ source, and pages visited within the website. Duration: 2 years. |
_gid |
Our website domain |
Used by Google Analytics to distinguish users by collecting information in anonymous form, such as browser information, visitors’ source, and pages visited within the website. Duration: 24 hours. |
_gat |
Our website domain |
Used to throttle request rate. Duration: 1 minute. |
collect |
google-analytics.com |
Used to send data to Google Analytics about the visitor’s device and behaviour. Tracks the visitor across devices and marketing channels. Duration: Session |
How to control cookies
Our users have the ability to change the settings in their browser in relation to cookies and their acceptance. In this way a user can delete our cookies and withdraw the acceptance.
To manage and disable cookies, follow the instructions for each browser:
Internet Explorer (https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/278835/how-to-delete-cookie-files-in-internet-explorer)
Mozilla Firefox (https://support.mozilla.org/en-US/kb/enable-and-disable-cookies-website-preferences)
Google Chrome (https://support.google.com/chrome/answer/95647?hl=en)
Safari (https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201265)
Opera (https://help.opera.com/en/latest/)
For more details, see AllAboutCookies.org.