18/09/2024
Experts from AEPD, mobilized by FIIAPP, tackled issues such as the protection of minors' data and data protection in clinical trials.
Held in Warsaw, the forum provided a crucial opportunity to collaboratively address key data protection challenges.
Organized by FIIAPP through the EU4DigitalUA project, along with the Polish Data Protection Authority (UODO), the Spanish Data Protection Agency (AEPD), the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, the event opened with remarks from Dmytro Lubinets, Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights, and Yuliia Derkachenko, Representative for Information Rights of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights.
The first day’s discussions covered key topics such as the protection of minors and digital identification, as well as access to clinical trial data. María Gastón Betrán, Technical Institutional Coordinator for the EU4DigitalUA project at FIIAPP, moderated the session. Luis de Salvador Carrasco, Head of the Technological Innovation Division at AEPD, addressed online child protection, emphasizing: “Protection of children is possible and compatible with GDPR.” The first day concluded with Andrés Calvo Medina, Coordinator of the Evaluation and Technical Studies Unit at AEPD, discussing access to clinical trial data and how GDPR has facilitated the establishment of a new Code of Conduct for processing personal data in clinical research and pharmacovigilance.
On the second day, the forum’s focus shifted to international data transfers and European data spaces. Joaquín Pérez Catalán, Director of the International Relations Division at AEPD, highlighted the importance of GDPR in ensuring citizens’ data protection across borders. Yuliia Derkachenko shared Ukraine’s progress in aligning its data protection framework with European standards. Andrés Calvo Medina from AEPD continued his discussion on European data spaces: “All parties involved in a data space are subject to rules, policies, and governance mechanisms to ensure that data subjects can control their own data, while also protecting the strategic data sets of Member States and the EU.” The day concluded with a visit to the Polish Office of the Ombudsman for Children, deepening discussions on child protection and privacy.
The third and final day of the forum was led by UODO, Poland’s Personal Data Protection Office, which conducted a series of presentations on its role in safeguarding personal data through education, legislative reviews, and appeals processes. The UODO team also shared their strategies for handling inspections, enforcement, and international cooperation with other data protection authorities. The forum concluded with a productive coordination meeting between the EU4DigitalUA FIIAPP team and the Secretariat of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights team, strengthening collaboration in advancing data protection practices between the two countries.
The Data Protection Authorities Experience Exchange Forum provided a platform for exchanging knowledge, experiences, and best practices in data protection. It reaffirmed Ukraine’s and its European partners’ commitment to enhancing personal data protection in line with European standards, strengthening cooperation, and addressing the challenges of the digital age.
