Digital Single Market

Keynote speech of Giovanni Buttarelli given at Joint ERA-EDPS seminar

EDPS comments in response to the President of the European Commission José Manuel Barroso on the General Report on the activities of the European Union

In 2013, in the context of his consultation work advising on new legislative measures, the review of the EU legal framework for data protection continued to be at the top of the EDPS agenda and will remain a priority in 2014. The Digital Agenda and the privacy risks of new technologies were also significant features of 2013.

The implementation of the Stockholm programme in the area of freedom, security and justice and issues in the internal market, such as financial sector reform, and in public health and consumer affairs, also had an impact on data protection. The EDPS also increased his cooperation with other supervisory authorities, particularly with regard to large-scale IT systems.

In the supervision of EU institutions and bodies, when processing personal data, the EDPS interacted with more data protection officers in more institutions and bodies in 2013 than ever before. In addition, a number of EDPS surveys revealed that most EU institutions and bodies, including many agencies, have made good progress in complying with the data protection Regulation, although there are still some which should increase their efforts.

In the course of 2012, we once again set new benchmarks in different areas of activity. In the supervision of EU institutions and bodies, when processing personal data, we interacted with more data protection officers in more institutions and bodies than ever before. In addition, we saw the effects of our new enforcement policy: most EU institutions and bodies, including many agencies, are making good progress in complying with the Data Protection Regulation, although there are still some which should increase their efforts.

In the consultation of new legislative measures, we issued a record number of opinions on a wide range of subjects. The Review of the EU legal framework for data protection was at the top of our agenda. However, the implementation of the Stockholm programme in the area of freedom, security and justice and the Digital Agenda, as well as issues in the internal market, such as financial sector reform and in public health and consumer affairs, also had an impact on data protection. We also increased our cooperation with other supervisory authorities.

You can get a paper version of this Annual Report from the EU Bookshop.

This report sets out the Strategy for the Period 2013-2014 adopted by the EDPS. Although this is a two-year strategy, it aims to lay longer-term foundations. The purpose of this strategy is to enable us to fulfil our commitments towards citizens and the EU institutions and bodies in a challenging and continuously evolving environment. With this report we also inform our stakeholders on how we will carry out our activities.

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