One of the EDPS’ mission is to promote a strong data protection culture inside the EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies (EUIs). To achieve this, one of our key task is to carry out audits and inspections, which are crucial to preserve high data protection standards. Traditionally, some audit reports and their executive summaries are shared with the public, via our annual reports or in the context of internal evaluations. However, we acknowledge that for us to evolve as a modern and efficient organisation, we need to be more transparent in our processes and outcomes. This not only increases public trust but also contributes to foster a culture of accountability amongst EUIs when they process personal data.
Objective: The core objective is to improve the EDPS’ public reach and transparency by regularly publishing comprehensive and user-friendly reports on its audits and inspections, thereby fulfilling our role as educators in the realm of data protection.
New Approaches & Innovations:
- Assessment of Existing Reports: Conduct a comprehensive review of all existing audit and inspection reports to determine what information can be made public, taking into account confidentiality requirements, personal data protection, and other legal constraints. This initial step aims to help establish a database, providing a baseline for ongoing transparency efforts.
- Improved web resources on audits and inspections: Allowing the public to view, filter, and download relevant information from reports based on parameters such as date, EUI, and the nature of data protection concerns addressed.
- Case Studies: Create case studies based on notable audits and inspections, to serve as educational materials that offer practical insights into common compliance issues and remedies.