the invention relates to the generation of error correction data for available data packets and to the reconstruction of missing data packets based on available data packets and available error correction data . in order to enable an efficient error correction , the data packets are distributed at an encoding end to at least one block of data symbols , each data symbol being of equal size . then all data symbols of a respective block are used in an encoding operation for forming a respective one of at least one error correction symbol for this block . at a decoding end , received data packets are distributed again to a block of data symbols and missing data packets are reconstructed based on these data symbols and on error correction symbols associated to the block .