Brussels, 11/01/2012 (Agence Europe) - In a press release issued on 10 January, the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) announced “a very demanding year” for data protection and a “challenging” programme of work. As well as the usual study topics related to legislative initiatives for the area of liberty, security and justice or the digital agenda, the EDPS also wants to make the reform of the financial sector central to the mission for his programme in 2012.
Amongst other things, the supervisor is considering publishing guidelines in the framework of market and financial actor regulation actions “on important technical or societal phenomena that affect personal data protection (such as 'naming and shaming' practices) or recurring data protection aspects of EU legislative initiatives (such as the provisions concerning exchanges of information)”.
Additionally, the EDPS will look at the Commission's new proposal to revise the 1995 framework on the protection of personal data, a proposal to be presented by Viviane Reding in late January, focus on developments on the European PNR and the European system to trace the funding of terrorism - the EU's equivalent of the TFTP/SWIFT negotiated with the United States (the Commission is planning a legislative proposal for the first half of 2011). The EDPS will also pay close attention to border control, the revision of the 2005 directive on storing data and negotiations on agreements with third countries on data protection issues.
Cloud computing or e-health services will also be on the menu. (SP/transl.fl)