International Cooperation

"The Annual Report clearly shows that 2010 has been a very busy, dynamic, but also very productive year for everyone at the EDPS and for data protection in general. This is fully in line with the need to increase our efforts to ensure a more effective protection of privacy and personal data in a changing world which is increasingly global, Internet driven and dependent on the wide spread use of ICTs in all areas of life. This trend affects every single one of us, so it is crucially important for the EU as a whole and for the activities of the EU administration." Peter Hustinx, EDPS

Opinion on the Communication from the Commission on "A comprehensive approach on personal data protection in the European Union", OJ C 181/01, 22.06.2011, p.1

See also the text of the Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions - "A comprehensive approach on personal data protection in the European Union".

The report shows that 2009 was of major importance for the fundamental right to data protection.

This is due to a number of key developments: the entering into force of the Lisbon Treaty, ensuring a strong legal basis for comprehensive data protection in all areas of EU policy; the start of a public consultation on the future of the EU legal framework for data protection; and the adoption of a new five-year policy programme for the area of freedom, security and justice ("Stockholm Programme") with the emphasis on the importance of data protection in this area.

The EDPS has been highly involved in these fields and is determined to pursue this course in the near future. 

You can obtain a paper version of this Annual Report on EU Bookshop. 

This Report, which covers 2008 as the fourth full year of activity of the EDPS, concludes the first EDPS mandate and provides an opportunity to take stock of developments since the start.

The report shows that significant progress was achieved both in the EDPS supervisory and advisory tasks. Most Community institutions and bodies are making good progress in ensuring compliance with data protection rules, but there are still great challenges ahead. The EDPS supervision work is therefore putting more emphasis on measuring the level of compliance in practice, in particular through more systematic verifications on the spot, and on monitoring the implementation of recommendations in prior checking.

The EDPS also further improved his performance as an advisor to the European institutions and submitted opinions on an increasing number of legislative proposals. The majority of the EDPS opinions continued to concern issues related to the area of freedom, security and justice. Other subjects, such as e-privacy, public access to documents, the establishment of information systems and access to those systems, cross-border healthcare and new technologies were also quite prominent.

You can obtain a paper version of this Annual Report on EU Bookshop.