Press Releases

There is a clear need for the EU to develop a more efficient system for exchanging information on the criminal records of non-EU citizens.

EU institutions and bodies deal with a wide variety of personal data, and often in complex ways. EU law requires that they are able to ensure, verify and demonstrate compliance with data protection rules when handling this data. According to a report published today by the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), there has been continuous and steady progress in the way that they deliver on this obligation.

Eleven months have passed since the Commission issued its proposal for the new Regulation governing data protection in the EU institutions and bodies. The proposal aims to align the provisions of the current Regulation (EC) 45/2001 with the rules of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) to achieve a stronger and more coherent data protection framework in the Union.

Several different large-scale IT databases are used by the EU to facilitate police cooperation and to help manage borders and migration. The EU aims to improve the efficiency of these databases by making them more interoperable, or capable of communicating and exchanging information. While we endorse attempts to develop a more coherent approach to border management and cooperation, this is a complex topic.

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), Giovanni Buttarelli, and the Chairman of the Commission for Personal Data Protection of the Republic of Bulgaria (CPDP), Ventislav Karadjov, would like to extend their warmest congratulations to the Privacy Commissioner for Personal Data in Hong Kong, who hosted this year’s thought provoking edition of the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners (ICDPPC).

The successful implementation of an EU-wide once-only principle to enable the lawful exchange of data across EU borders depends on ensuring that the relevant data protection principles are respected, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) said today, as he published his Opinion on the Commission’s proposal for a Regulation establishing a single digital gateway and the once-only principle.

As we approach the mid-point of the current EDPS mandate and continue the countdown to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the EU must build on current momentum to reinforce its position as the leading force in the global dialogue on data protection and privacy in the digital age, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) said today to the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), as he presented his 2016 Annual Report.

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) represents one of the EU’s greatest achievements in recent years, but without a complementary and effective legal tool to protect the fundamental right to private life, of which the confidentiality of our communications is a vital component, the EU privacy and data protection framework remains incomplete, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) said today, as he published his Opinion on the ePrivacy Regulation.

As part of our commitment to facilitating responsible and informed policymaking, the EDPS has published a necessity toolkit. The toolkit is designed to help policymakers identify the impact of new laws on the fundamental right to data protection and determine the cases in which the limitation of this right is truly necessary.

Individuals are entitled to enjoy the same rights online as they do offline, under EU law. This includes when consuming goods and services, whether they are supplied in exchange for money or not.

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), Giovanni Buttarelli and the Chairman of the Commission for Personal Data Protection of the Republic of Bulgaria, Ventsislav Karadjov thank the Members, the Chair and the Executive Committee of the International Conference of Data Protection and Privacy Commissioners (ICDPPC) for their confidence in them to jointly host the prestigious 40th annual conference in October 2018.

In recent years, the Commission has proposed several initiatives aimed at ensuring EU borders remain safe and secure. Though we support these efforts, it is vital to ensure that the proposals fully respect the fundamental rights of those concerned, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) said today, as he issued his Opinion on the proposed European Travel Information and Authorisation System (ETIAS).

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) provides individuals with increased control over how their personal data is collected and used online, but more can and should be done to ensure that individuals are able to take back control of their online identities, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) said today, as he published his Opinion on Personal Information Management Systems (PIMS).

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), Giovanni Buttarelli, has announced that he intends to set up a Digital Clearing House to promote more coherent enforcement of EU rules.  In a new Opinion, Coherent enforcement of fundamental rights in the age of big data, published today, he drew attention to the mounting concern at concentration of market power and personal data in fewer and fewer hands, with the internet experience characterised by ‘walled gardens’ and take-it-or-leave-it data use po

As the EU searches for the best approach to secure its borders, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) said that citizens must be assured that the proposals put forward are effective, but that they also respect data protection laws.

A new proposal on ePrivacy should guarantee confidentiality of communications, offer clarity and complement the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) said the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) as he published his Opinion on the review of the ePrivacy Directive.

Confidentiality is the most effective incentive to encourage staff to report wrongdoing at work said the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) today as he published his Guidelines on Whistleblowing Procedures.

In his capacity as an independent supervisor of the EU institutions and advisor to the EU legislator, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) today published his Opinion on the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield in which he offers practical solutions to address some of the concerns the proposal raises.

With new data protection rules now recognised as law, the EU must turn its attention to ensuring that they are successfully implemented, the European Data Protection Supervisor said to the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), as he presented his 2015 Annual Report.

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), Giovanni Buttarelli and the Director of the EU Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol), Rob Wainwright, welcomed the recent adoption by the European Parliament of the new Regulation on Europol.