Ukraine, Poland, and Spain Shared Data Protection Expertise at Forum in Warsaw

The Data Protection Authorities Experience Exchange Forum, a three-day event organised by the EU4DigitalUA FIIAPP team together 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, was successfully held in Warsaw. The forum brought together experts and officials to discuss critical data protection issues affecting Europe and Ukraine.

The event opened on September 3 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. Maria Gaston Betran, FIIAPP Technical Institutional Coordinator for the EU4DigitalUA project, moderated the session. AEPD’s Luis de Salvador Carrasco, Head of the Technological Innovation Division, delivered an impactful presentation on “Protection of Children on the Internet,” where he stressed, “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 led to 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. Ukraine’s progress in aligning its data protection framework with European standards was shared by Yuliia Derkachenko. Andrés Calvo Medina from AEPD continued his discussion on European data spaces, emphasising that “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 saw UODO, Poland’s Personal Data Protection Office, lead a series of presentations on their 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 wrapped up 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 the exchange of knowledge, experiences, and best practices in data protection. It reaffirmed the commitment of Ukraine and its European partners to enhancing personal data protection in line with European standards, strengthening cooperation, and addressing the challenges of the digital age.