More than ever before, EU Institutions, Bodies, Offices and Agencies (EUIs), like all other organisations, need to keep up the pace with ever-advancing technologies and manage the complexity of digital transformation, which includes ensuring accountability and the safeguarding of the personal data that they process.
Thanks to Regulation (EU) 2018/1725 (the so-called EUDPR), EUIs are equipped with Data Protection Officers (DPOs), who are essential in ensuring effective compliance with the EUDPR.
DPOs are designated on the basis of professional qualities and, in particular, expert knowledge of data protection law and practices.
They are supported by Data Protection Coordinators, Assistants and Deputy DPOs as well as by different key functions in departments of the EU administration. These stakeholders form a community supporting and promoting a strong data protection culture within EUIs.
In close cooperation with the European School of Administration (EuSA), the EDPS will design a DPO certification programme dedicated to people who already work in the EUIs and wish to join their data protection community.
Concretely, the EDPS is planning to launch in 2025 a pilot DPO certification programme consisting of a five-day training course, which will be concluded with a certification exam.
The programme will consist of specialised hands-on courses, which will enable participants to acquire in-depth knowledge of the European data protection legislation, insight into new technologies including AI, and know-how about the role of the DPO. The training will also include general presentations of key data protection legal and technical concepts, as well as concrete case studies, and European case law on privacy and data protection. Courses will be delivered by EUIs’ internal and external experienced experts and practitioners.