*** Annual Privacy Forum 2025 *** Today marked the 13th edition of the Annual Privacy Forum, where experts from across Europe gathered to bridge the gap between privacy and data protection research and policy. This year’s edition was organised by the Goethe University Frankfurt, Karlstad University, and RSA Conference, with active participation from @European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (ENISA) and the #EDPS. In his opening remarks, @Wojciech Wiewiórowski Wojciech Wiewiorowski addressed some of the most pressing challenges in data protection and cybersecurity: "October marks the EU Cybersecurity Month. Alongside the EDPS daily role in supervising the protection of individuals affected by cybersecurity incidents impacting EUIs systems, we are present and playing an active role in the initiatives that EU institutions are carrying out". He added: "Strong cybersecurity is essential to the EU's resilience and the protection of fundamental rights. The greater the intrusion, the greater the risks for our rights, and the stronger our safeguards must be". In his address, he spoke about the simplification agenda: "True simplification means making rules clearer, more coherent, and easier to apply, without weakening the protections for individuals. Simplification should mean strengthening and streamlining enforcement, maintaining independence, and preserving the GDPR as a landmark for Europe's fundamental rights". #APF25 #Cybersecurity #GDPR image
*** OPINION *** The EDPS has published an Opinion on the Recommendation for a Council Decision authorising the opening of negotiations for a digital trade agreement with Canada. The objective of this Recommendation is to authorise the @European Commission to open negotiations with Canada in order to complement the existing EU–Canada Free Trade Agreement by establishing comprehensive rules on digital trade. These negotiations may address issues such as cross-border data flows with trust, data localisation requirements and the protection of personal data. The EDPS recalls that the protection of personal data is a fundamental right in the European Union and therefore cannot be subject to negotiations in the context of trade agreements. Read the Opinion image