European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), Peter Hustinx, and Assistant Supervisor, Giovanni Buttarelli held a press conference on 15 November about the future of the EU legal framework for data protection, addressing in particular the European Commission's recent communication on a data protection reform strategy. They highlighted the need for an ambitious reform and called for an effective data protection scheme in the European Union.

The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) highlighted the importance of the reform of legal framework for data protection put forward by the European Commission, which he considers as very timely to remain effective in a European information society of 2015 and beyond. He insisted on the need for a strong and effective data protection in a society where personal information is used in quantities that can not be measured, very often without individuals being aware of it.

The EDPS welcomed the Commission's communication and expressed his full support to the issues identified and to its main lines of action as a first step in a revision process whose challenges are huge. He therefore called on the Commission to seize this opportunity to come up with ambitious proposals that would reflect the equally ambitious goals set out in its communication.

In the meantime however, the EDPS pointed out the need of ensuring the application of the present rules. This should be done though different means, including better enforcement at national and EU levels, making sure that privacy considerations are proactively built in in new regulations having an impact on data protection, and reinforcing the international instruments in data protection, in close cooperation with all relevant actors.

Regarding the new framework, the EDPS highlighted some of of its main elements, in particular his support to achieving further harmonisation of national data protection legislation, the need for a technologically neutral approach, the inclusion of the principles of privacy by design and accountability, the introduction of a mandatory security breach notification covering all relevant sectors, and the inclusion of the areas of police and justice in the general framework.

An opinion form the EDPS is expected to be published within a few weeks and the Supervisor will continue to closely follow the work of the Commission in the time to come.