About EFDPO

Working together is success

The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) marks a milestone in data protection and is used as a blueprint for similar pieces of legislation across the globe. In view of the GDPR’s impact, the representation of our interests as national associations of data protection officers (DPOs) at the European level is becoming increasingly important. This applies particularly in the context of the GDPR review process, starting in 2020. Thus, we need to ensure that our concerns are heard and considered by European regulators. We are convinced that the intensification of our cooperation and the creation of a strong network between European DPO organizations will lead to success and strengthen data protection as a competitive and locational advantage for Europe.

The EFDPO was founded in Berlin on 7 June 2019. Founding members are national associations for data protection officers from Austria, France, Germany, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Greece and Liechtenstein. The main objectives are to represent the interests of data protection officers in Brussels.

Among other things, the EU federation wants to support the establishment of an EU certification standard for data protection officers.

We see data protection officers as key experts in companies and institutions, they ensure the entrepreneurial capacity to act under the GDPR and, at the same time, ensure that consumer and civil rights are observed with regard to data protection. This also relieves the burden on national data protection supervisory authorities.

The scope of the EFDPO is not limited to data protection officers, but also takes into account the interests of other emerging professions in data protection, such as the data protection auditor or the data protection coordinator.