Press Releases

In its Opinion published today, the EDPS welcomes the objectives pursued in the proposed EU Media Freedom Act to protect media freedom, independence and pluralism across the EU. Media freedom is a precondition for the functioning of media services in the EU’s internal market and, more importantly, a key enabler for the rule of law and democratic accountability in the EU.

In its Opinion published on 13 October 2022, the EDPS welcomes the opening of negotiations for a Council of Europe convention on artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy and the rule of law (Convention).

On 16 September 2022, the EDPS requested that the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) annuls two provisions of the newly amended Europol Regulation, which came into force on 28 June 2022. The two provisions have an impact on personal data operations carried out in the past by Europol.

“We are deeply concerned that the 2023 budget, if not substantially increased, will be significantly too small to allow the EDPB and the EDPS to fulfil their tasks appropriately,” Andrea Jelinek, Chair of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), and Wojciech Wiewiórowski, European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), write in an Open Letter to the European Parliament and the European Council.

Brussels, 29 July - The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) adopted a Joint Opinion on the Proposal for a Regulation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse.

While supporting the Proposal for a Regulation on geographical indications for wine, spirits, agricultural products, and quality schemes for agricultural products in its Opinion published today, the EDPS recommends that a number of measures related to the processing of personal data are clarified and added.

In its Opinion published today on the European Commission’s Proposal for a Directive on recovery and confiscation of assets, the EDPS recognises that processing personal data in this context is liable to have a significant impact on the individuals concerned and constitutes an interference with individuals’ rights guaranteed by the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, including the right to data protection.

Brussels, 14 July - The European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) have adopted their Joint Opinion on the European Commission’s Proposal for the European Health Data Space (EHDS). The Proposal aims to facilitate the creation of a European Health Union and to enable the EU to make full use of the potential offered by a safe and secure exchange, use and reuse of health data.

In its Opinion published today, the EDPS fully supports the goals of the proposed amendments to the financial rules on the general budget of the European Union, but strongly recommends specifying the types of personal data to be processed, from where this data is sourced, as well as the means and duration of the processing.  

Following the publication of the amended Europol Regulation in the Official Journal of the EU today, the EDPS expresses its concerns that the amendments, which will enter into force on 28 June 2022, weaken the fundamental right to data protection and do not ensure an appropriate oversight of the European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Cooperation (Europol).

This week, on 16 and 17 June 2022, European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) Wojciech Wiewiórowski welcomed over 2000 participants, both in-person and remotely, at his conference titled, “The future of data protection: effective enforcement in the digital world”.

With a line-up of over 100 distinguished speakers sharing their different views and visions, a total of 16 breakout sessions, workshops, and more, the two-day conference of the EDPS fostered crucial conversations on the future of data protection.

The EDPS published on 18 May 2022 its Opinion concerning the EU’s participation in the United Nations’ negotiations for a Comprehensive International Convention on Countering the Use of Information and Communications Technologies for Criminal Purposes (the future UN convention on cybercrime).

On 17 May 2022, the EDPS published two Opinions, one on the Proposal for a Regulation laying down measures for a high common level of cybersecurity in the EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies (EUIs) (‘Cybersecurity Proposal’) and

Brussels, 5 May - The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) and the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) published their Joint Opinion on the proposed Data Act.

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) launches today the public pilot phase of two social media platforms: EU Voice  and EU Video.

EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies (EUIs) participating in the pilot phase of these platforms will be able to interact with the public by sharing short texts, images and videos on EU Voice; and by sharing, uploading, commenting videos and podcasts on EU Video.

Today, the EDPS published its Annual Report 2021. The report highlights the EDPS’ achievements regarding European Union institutions’ (EU institutions) compliance with the data protection framework. The Report also underscores the EDPS’ increasing role in advocating for the respect of privacy and data protection in EU legislation.

On 1 April 2022, the EDPS reprimanded the European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) for a breach of the Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, applicable to Union institutions, offices, bodies and agencies.

The EDPB and EDPS have adopted a joint opinion on the European Commission’s proposals to extend the current Regulations on the EU Digital COVID Certificate (EUDCC) by 12 months and to amend certain provisions, such as a broadening of the types of COVID tests accepted in the context of travels within the EU and clarifying that vaccination certificates should contain the number of doses administered to the holder, regardless of the Member State in which t

On 2 and 7 March 2022, the EDPS published two Opinions on the Commission’s Proposal for the Regulation on automated data exchange for police cooperation (“Prüm II”) and on the Proposal for a Directive on information exchange between law enforcement authorities of Member States.

Today, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) published a report on the new processing operations,  and on the IT tools that EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies (EUIs) introduced to ensure business continuity during the COVID-19 pandemic and the compliance of these activities with Regulation (EU) 2018/1725.