Brussels, 15/11/2010 (Agence Europe) - With the European Commission getting ready to reform the 1995 directive on data protection next year, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), Peter Hustinx, has called for this reform to be ambitious. “Data protection (…) relates to everybody's life, every moment of every day (…). There is no room for mistakes here: the challenges are enormous. That is why the proposed solutions must be equally ambitious and actually enhance the effectiveness of the instruments of data protection”, he said. The EDPS said that he had favourably welcomed the recent communication by the Commission on a strategy for the reform of data protection (EUROPE 10250). In particular, he stressed his support for a greater harmonisation of national data protection laws, the need for a technologically neutral approach, the inclusion of the principles of “privacy by design”, accountability, the introduction of the obligatory notification of security lapses covering all sectors concerned and the inclusion of the police and justice areas in the general framework. However, Hustinx reiterated the need to ensure that the current rules are being applied, notably by making sure that privacy issues are included in all new measures with an impact on data protection. (B.C./transl.fl)