Cookies

You should be aware that when you use the Commission's website(s), we may collect information by using 'cookies'.

The Commission and our third party partners may set a range of cookies when you visit our websites. Below we explain the types of cookies we use.

Essential for making our site work properly.(Strictly Necessary)
These cookies let you move around the website and use essential features like secure areas, shopping baskets and online billing. These cookies don't gather any information about you that could be used for marketing or remembering where you've been on the internet.

Collect information about how you use our website.(Performance)
'Performance' cookies collect information about how you use our website e.g. which pages you visit, and if you experience any errors. These cookies don't collect any information that could identify you – all the information collected is anonymous and is only used to help us improve how our website works, understand what interests our users.
We use performance cookies to

1.Provide statistics on how our website is used.
2.See how effective our adverts are (we don't use this information to target adverts to you when you visit other websites).
3.Help us improve the website by measuring any errors that occur.
4.Test different designs of our website.

Using our site indicates that you accept the use of 'Performance' cookies. Accepting these cookies is a condition of using the website, so if you prevent them we cannot guarantee how our site will perform for you.

Examples:
Google analytics

Used to provide services or to remember settings to improve your visit. (Functionality)
‘Functionality' cookies are used to provide services or to remember settings to improve your visit. We use 'Functionality' cookies to

1.Share information with partners to provide a service on our website. The information shared is only to be used to provide the service, product or function and not for any other purpose.

Cookies defined as 'Functionality' will not be used to target you with adverts on other websites.

Some of these cookies are managed for us by third parties – where this is the case we don't allow the third party to use the cookies for any purpose other than those listed above.

Preventing these cookies may mean we can't offer you some services, and will reduce the support we can offer you. It's also possible that preventing these cookie stops us remembering that you didn't want a specific service.

Examples:
Twitter and YouTube cookies that capture your preference.

Are linked to services provided by third parties.(Targeting)
'Targeting' cookies are linked to services provided by third parties, such as 'Like' buttons and 'Share' buttons. The third party provides these services in return for recognising that you have visited our website.

We use 'Targeting' cookies to
1.Link to social networks like Facebook, Sharethis who may subsequently use information about your visit to target advertising to you on other websites.

Preventing these cookies may stop us from offering you some services. All of these cookies are managed by third parties, and use the third parties' own tools to prevent these cookies.

Examples:
include sharethis

How do I turn cookies off?

It is usually possible to stop your browser accepting cookies, or to stop it accepting cookies from a particular website. For example, we cannot tell if you are signed in without using cookies, so you would not be able to post comments.

All modern browsers allow you to change your cookie settings. These settings will typically be found in the 'options' or 'preferences' menu of your browser. In order to understand these setttings, the following links may be helpful, otherwise you should use the 'Help' option in your browser for more details.

Cookie settings in Internet Explorer
Cookie settings in Firefox
Cookie settings in Chrome
Cookie settings in Safari web and iOS.

If you are primarily concerned about third party cookies generated by advertisers, you can turn these off by going to the Your Online Choices site.

You can also visit the trade body representing these advertising platforms for more information: Network Advertising Initative.

They have provided a one-stop place that gathers all of the opt-out controls. Please bear in mind that the are many more networks listed on this site than those that we use at CIPFA.
http://networkadvertising.org/managing/opt_out.asp

Useful links

If you would like to find out more about cookies and their use on the Internet, you may find the following links useful:

Microsoft Cookies guide
All About Cookies

The IAB has provided the following website to give information specifically about privacy issues around Internet advertising:
youronlinechoices.co.uk/uk

For further legal information about privacy issues, you may find these links useful:

Data Protection Act 1998
The Information Commissioner's Office