European Data Protection Supervisor presents annual report

European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) 2005 annual report was presented
on the 19 April . As stated by the report, following the first year of
setting up the new independent authority on protecting personal data and
privacy, 2005 was a year of consolidation confirming its main activities:
supervision, consultation and cooperation. The authority increased its staff
and set up its own press service.

Peter Hustinx, the European Data Protection Supervisor, stated that EDPS is
now advising the European Commission, Council and Parliament on proposals of
new legislation affecting privacy and six formal opinions were published
last year in this context. Related mainly to the policy area “Justice,
Freedom and Security”, these opinions included proposals such as the highly
controversial one on data retention, but also for large scale IT-systems
such as the second generation Schengen information system (SIS II) and the
Visa information system (VIS).

In 2005 efforts were made to further develop the network of Data Protection
Officers (DPOs) of institutions and bodies. A paper on the role of the
compulsory Data Protection Officers was published and advice and training
was also provided to DPOs. Resources were used to prior checking risky
operations (although most of them “ex post” as the respective systems
already existed before EDPS was created).

EDPS ensured a series of tools facilitating the compliance of data
protection obligations by the EU administration as well as 34 opinions out
of which 30 on systems existing in various institutions and bodies. It
established some thematic priorities such as medical files, staff appraisal,
disciplinary procedures, social services and e-monitoring.

A background paper was also elaborated on how public access to documents and
data protection relate in the context of EU institutions and bodies.
As the supervisory authority of the central unit of Eurodac, EDPS prepared a
series of activities in 2005 expressing a general satisfaction on the
findings of the first stage of inspections.

Peter Hustinx expressed his trust in EDPS achievements during the first two
years of activity and considered progress has been made in developing a data
protection culture.

Consolidating the EDPS –second Annual Report presented – press release
(19.04.2006)
http://www.edps.eu.int/Press/EDPS-2006-5-EN_annual%20report.pdf

EDPS 2005 Annual Report (19.04.2006)
http://www.edps.eu.int/publications/annual_report/2005/AR_2005_EN.pdf

EDRI-gram : Results data protection inspection EURODAC kept secret
(15.03.2006)
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number4.5/eurodac

EDRI-gram : EU Visa Database under scrutiny of the European Data Protection
(2.02.2006)
http://www.edri.org/edrigram/number4.2/visadatabase