"EDPS issues a paper on the role of data protection officers in a push to improve the EU administration's data protection compliance"

According to the Press Room of the European Commission, "Today, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) sends a paper to the heads of the EU administration, in which he addresses the Data Protection Officer's (DPOs) role as a strategic partner in ensuring compliance with the data protection regulation (45/2001) without delay. One of the key messages is that also all EU bodies need to appoint a DPO, although the appointment in itself does not automatically mean full compliance with the regulation. A second key message is that the DPOs must be notified more adequately of personal data processing within their entity and that they must notify the EDPS of any processing which entails specific risks for the people concerned and therefore need a prior check.
Peter Hustinx, EDPS, says: 'Full compliance with the regulation is crucial when it comes to respecting the fundamental rights of the many people whose data are processed by the EU administration. With this paper, I remind the EU institutions and bodies of their data protection obligations; good progress has been made, but a lot still remains to be done and the clock is ticking'.
Data protection in the EU administration is organised in a layered system in which the DPOs, the institution or body and the EPDS all have their role to play. In the paper, the EDPS gives guidance as to how the DPOs can best perform their tasks in an independent manner. He presents his views on their main functions, including the task of monitoring compliance with the regulation; receiving notifications; keeping a processing register that the public can consult; giving advice and raising data protection awareness internally and notifying the EDPS of certain processing for prior checking. The paper also examines the relationship between the EDPS and the DPOs.

The list of EU bodies can be found here & An up-to-date list of DPOs can be found here.

The paper is available on our website.

For more information, please contact the EDPS Press Service at: +32 2 283 19 00

EDPS - the EU-administration's data protection guardian"