The results of the voting at the Committee of the Permanent Representatives of the Governments of the Member States to the European Union (Coreper) and at the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs of the European Parliament (LIBE) confirm Wojciech Wiewiórowski for a 5-year mandate as European Data Protection Supervisor.
In the hearing leading up to his appointment he said the following about technology:
….” In early 2015, in the first 100 days of our mandate, Giovanni Buttarelli and I developed a threepronged strategy of taking data protection into the digital age, forging global partnerships and opening a new chapter for EU data protection. This has been ideal preparation for me to now take our authority to a new level of leadership, building smart and innovative public administration. I intend to lead by example and harness the synergies available to EDPS with its unique place at the heart of the EU institutional architecture as well as the data protection community. In intend to use this privileged position to help address the societal and technical challenges of the third decade of 21st century. This will be my way of serving the idea of Europe.
Lastly, understanding and explaining the implications of emerging technologies has become a crucial element of the day-to-day functions of the EDPS. Not only in my professional capacity, but also as a parent of two young daughters, who are part of the 21st-century ‘Generation Z’ of digital natives, I am committed to ensuring that the digitisation of society and economy works in the interests of everyone and especially future generations. Under my leadership, EDPS will address not only artificial intelligence or Internet of Things, but also be able to understand what role privacy will play in the age of quantum computing, transhumanism, human-computer interfaces and the ubiquitous storage of data.” [Hearing of candidate Mr Wojciech Rafal WIEWIÓROWSK]
Background: Wojciech Wiewiórowski, a Polish national, was appointed by a joint decision of the European Parliament and the Council on 4 December 2014 for a term of five years.
In accordance with article 100(4) of the Regulation (EU) 2018/1725, Wojciech Wiewiórowski, Assistant Supervisor, as from 21 August 2019 is acting as a replacement for European Data Protection Supervisor Giovanni Buttarelli until the end of the current Assistant Supervisor’s term of office on 5 December 2019.
Before his appointment, he served as Inspector General for the Protection of Personal Data at the Polish Data Protection Authority, a position which he had held since 2010. He was also Vice Chair of the Working Party Article 29 Group.
Source: edps.europa.eu/press
