Press Releases

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has adopted an opinion on the European Commission's Communication of 10 June 2009 entitled “An area of freedom, security and justice serving the citizen”. The Communication is the Commission's contribution to the discussions on the new EU programme for the next five years in the area of justice and home affairs, the so called Stockholm programme, which is due to be adopted by the European Council in December 2009.

The Eurodac Supervision Coordination Group has issued a report on their second coordinated inspection of the large-scale database that contains fingerprints of asylum seekers in order to assist asylum procedures in the European Union. The Supervision Group, which is composed of data protection authorities of each of the participating States and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), has investigated how the database has been used in practice over the last two years.

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has issued his second general report measuring progress made in the implementation of data protection rules and principles by Community institutions and bodies, as laid down in the Data Protection Regulation (Regulation (EC) No 45/2001).

On 30 April, in his sixth year of activity, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) received the 500^th prior-check notification on a processing of personal data in the EU administration. For reasons of transparency, a register of all notifications for prior checking received by the EDPS is now publicly available on the EDPS website.

Following yesterday's vote in the European Parliament, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) has expressed his satisfaction with how the Parliament addressed the delicate issue of reconciling transparency requirements with data protection obligations.

Although some legal fine-tuning is still needed, the amendments adopted by MEPs clearly reflect an approach which strives for a proper balance between transparency on the one hand and data protection on the other.

Today, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted an opinion on the Commission's proposal for a Directive on standards of quality and safety of human organs intended for transplantation. The proposal provides for national quality programmes to advance organs donation and transplantation, including a traceability mechanism to ensure that all organs can be traced from donation to reception and vice versa.

Today, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted two interlinked opinions relating to the proposal for a revision of the EURODAC Regulation and the proposal recasting the so-called "Dublin Regulation" which determines the EU Member State responsible for an asylum application.

On 9 January, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted an Opinion on the review of the Directive on Privacy and electronic communications, usually referred to as the ePrivacy Directive. This Opinion follows upon a first EDPS Opinion, as well as Comments, in which recommendations were made to help ensure that the proposed changes effectively provide for the best possible protection of personal data.

The European Parliament and the Council have agreed to reappoint Peter Hustinx as European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) for a second term of office. They have also appointed Giovanni Buttarelli as Assistant Supervisor for the same five-year term. He will replace Joaquin Bayo Delgado who decided not to run for a second mandate. The new EDPS and Assistant EDPS will take office early next year, once the official decision has been published.

On 2 December 2008, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted an opinion on a proposal for a Directive on the application of patients' rights in cross-border healthcare. The proposal aims at establishing a Community framework for the provision of cross-border healthcare within the European Union (EU) for those occasions where the care patients seek is provided in another Member State than in their home country.

Three years after the initial Commission proposal, the Council of the European Union adopted on 27 November the Framework Decision on the protection of personal data in the field of police and judicial cooperation in criminal matters – the first general data protection instrument in the EU third pillar.

On 10 November, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted an opinion on the Final Report by the EU-US High Level Contact Group on information sharing and privacy and personal data protection, which was presented by the Presidency of the European Union (EU) in June 2008. The Report defines common principles on privacy and data protection as a first step towards the exchange of information between the EU and the United States (US) to fight terrorism and serious transnational crime.

On 16 September 2008, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted an opinion on a proposal for a Council Decision on the establishment of an electronic European Criminal Records Information System (ECRIS). The Decision is part of a package designed to help EU Member States to share the criminal records of their citizens and exchange information on past criminal convictions.

Today, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted an Opinion on the Commission's proposal aimed at reviewing the rules on public access to documents held by EU institutions. The Opinion focuses on an amended provision dealing with the relation between public access to documents and the protection of personal data.

Today, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted an Opinion on the proposed multi-annual Community programme on protecting children using the Internet and other communication technologies, which was presented by the European Commission in February 2008.

Today, Peter Hustinx, Supervisor, and Joaquín Bayo Delgado, Assistant Supervisor, presented their fourth Annual Report to the press. The report runs through the main features of the EDPS activities in 2007, notably with regard to supervisory and consultative tasks. It also emphasises the impact of the Lisbon Treaty that provides for an enhanced protection of personal data.

On 14 May, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) presented his general report measuring the implementation of Regulation (EC) 45/2001 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data by the institutions and bodies of the Community.

Today, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted a policy paper which sets out his role and possible contributions to EU research and technological development (RTD). The policy paper develops possible models of contribution, both in the preparatory stages of an EU Framework Programme and with regard to individual RTD projects.

The overall objective of these contributions is for the EDPS to promote and reinforce the application of the principle of "privacy by design".

On 10 April, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted an Opinion on the European Commission's proposal amending, among others, the Directive on Privacy and electronic communications, usually referred to as the ePrivacy Directive.

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted an Opinion on the Commission's proposal aiming at revising the 2004 Council Regulation that sets out minimum standards for security features and biometrics in passports and travel documents.