European Privacy and Data Protection Commissioners' conference 2010

 The conference, often called simply “spring conference” in expert circles, offers unique opportunity to data protectors from all Europe to discuss on actual topics, important not merely from the European perspective.

This year´s edition took place in Prague on 29 – 30 April. The Czech Office for Personal Data Protection has been entrusted with the programme preparation and organization. The prestigious task can a European data protection authority get only once in twenty-seven years - considering the number of the EU member states – and the Czech Office has risen to this great challenge under the motto “Weighing up the past, thinking of the future”. The Czech data protection authority which celebrated the first ten years of existence in June had learned much from the European documents, however historic today, but still inspiring. Thanks to the experience of our older partner institutions in Europe, the Czech Office could deliberate on a lot much easier and with the eyes fixed on the future. The fact we have been given the host of this conference proves the respected position of our Office among the European partners.

More than one hundred delegates gathered at the conference venue in the premises of Prague Castle. The programme was divided into four thematically specific sessions. Many distinguished representatives of the legal guarantees of the protection of privacy as the fundamental human right accepted our invitation.

Dr. Igor Němec, President of the Czech data protection authority opened the conference and chaired the closing session as well.

The official guest of the conference was:

Mr Přemysl Sobotka, President of the Senate of the Parliament of the Czech Republic

The conference sessions in overview:

1.  Internet of things; ubiquitous monitoring in space and time   
      Chair:
      Mr Artemi Rallo Lombarte, Director, Spanish DPA
      Speakers:
      Mr Artemi Rallo Lombarte
      Mr Giovanni Buttarelli, Assistant Supervisor, EDPS
      Mr Andrej Tomšič, Deputy Information Commissioner, Slovenian DPA
      (“Road user charging and the old battle between privacy, economics and functionality“)
      Prof. Sanjay E. Sarma, Expert, MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA)
2.  Children in cobweb on networks
       Chair:
      Mr George de la Loyère, Commissioner, French DPA
      Speakers:
      Mr George de la Loyère
      Mr Billy Hawkes, Commissioner, Irish DPA
      (“Data Protection - Reaching out to Young People“)
      Ms Hana Štěpánková, Spokeswoman, Czech DPA
      (“Efficient approach to the young generation. How to do that?“)
      Mr Javier Sempere Samaniego, Projects Coordinator, Madrid DPA
      (“DPAs are not sexy: What can we do with the digital babies?“)
      Mr Ove Skåra, Communications Director, Norwegian DPA
      (“Communication as a tool. When does it work?“)
      Ms Clara Guerra, Consultant, International Relations, Portuguese DPA
      (“DADUS Project – reaching young people“)
3.  Personal data protection at the crossroads
      Chair:
      Mr Jacob Kohnstamm, President, Dutch DPA
      Speakers:
      Mr Jacob Kohnstamm
      Mr Peter Hustinx, EDPS
      (“Strategic context of the WPPJ-WP29 document on the Future of Privacy and the role of DPAs in the unfolding debate on the future of privacy“)
      Mr Richard Thomas, Expert
      (“Accountability in practice – How a new Directive could promote next-generation Binding Corporate Rules“)
      Mr Peter Schaar, Federal Commissioner, German DPA
      (“Technological challenges and answers from data protection law“)
      Ms Eva Souhrada-Kirchmayer, First Vice-President of T-PD, Council of Europe
      (“Personal data protection at the crossroads: taking Convention 108 further“)
4. Public sector: respected partner or privileged processor?
      Chair:
      Mr Michał Serzycki, Inspector General, Polish DPA
      Speakers:
      Mr Michał Serzycki
      Mr Francesco Pizzetti, President, Italian DPA
      (“Public data between the right to know and the right to privacy“)
      Ms Miroslava Matoušová, Inspector, Czech DPA
      (“Protection of public sector personal data: risks and recesses“)
      Mr Viljar Peep, Director General, Estonian DPA
      (“From privileged position toward trusted partner – Trends and challenges of e-Estonia“)

A special panel on ethnic profiling, chaired by the Slovenian colleagues, took place in the end of the conference.

The following officials also presented their contributions:

European Commission

Council of Europe

Working Party on Police and Justice (Advisory body on data protection in the police sector and justice) – Mr Francesco Pizzetti, chairman of the working party

Case Handling Workshops (regular seminar focused on supervisory praxis of the data protection authorities) – representatives from the Cypriote and Belgian authorites

Leonardo da Vinci programme - Mr Michał Serzycki, Inspector General, Polish data protection authority.

There were adopted these resolutions on conference:

Resolution on the use of body scanners for airport security purposes

Resolution on the envisaged agreement between the European Union and the United States of America on data protection standards in the area of police and judical co-operation in criminal matters

Resolution on future development of data protection and privacy

Resolution on set up of joint actions of awareness and education of youngsters at an European and international level

Conference Flash Movie, Prague, 29-30 April 2010