The European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS), Peter Hustnix, has said there is a need for strong and effective data protection and welcomed the European Commission’s (EC) recent call for more stringent rules surrounding the topic.
The EC, he says, should seize the opportunity to come up with ambitious proposals that would reflect the ambitious goals set out in the EC’s recent communication on a data protection reform strategy.
“Data protection is not an abstract thing. It relates to everybody’s life, every moment of every day. A strong data protection also supports and underpins other issues, such as our European economy, our security, the accountability of our governments, and trust in the information society,” said Hustinx.
No room for error
“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 added.
The EDPS pointed out the need of ensuring the application of the present rules – by better enforcement at national and EU levels and reinforcing the international instruments in data protection, in close co-operation with all relevant factors.
