Privacy & Information Security Law Blog

On February 7, 2018, representatives of European Data Protection Authorities (“DPAs”) met in Brussels to appoint the new leader of the current Article 29 Data Protection Working Party (the “Working Party”). Andrea Jelinek, head of the Austrian DPA, was elected to the post and will replace Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, leader of the French DPA, who has represented the Working Party over the past four years.

Jelinek, running for the position against head of the Bulgarian DPA, Ventsislav Karadjov, won by a majority of votes and will assume the role in the coming months.

After the EU GDPR becomes directly applicable on May 25, 2018, the Working Party will be replaced by the new European Data Protection Board, and it is highly likely that Jelinek will be reconfirmed as its inaugural leader.

Austria is one of only two EU member states, the other being Germany, that has fully adapted its national privacy laws to be in line with the GDPR ahead of the May 2018 deadline.