Candidates for next EU Data Protection Supervisor under assessment

The European Commission is in the process of choosing the next European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) – the privacy watchdog of the EU institutions – with candidates under assessment this week, according to people familiar with the matter.

A first round of interviews took place earlier this month as the mandate of the incumbent EDPS Wojciech Wiewiórowski ends in early December.

After this week’s assessment centre, the Commission will draft a shortlist with three to five candidates who will then be heard by the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) probably at the end of November. 

Poland’s Wiewiórowski, whose mandate ends on 5 December, has led the EPDS for the past five years, and is seeking re-election for a further term. 

Among the contenders are also French university professor François Pellegrini, and a Dutch privacy official who is working for the Belgian watchdog, Hielke Hijmans, who both confirmed to Euronews that they are running.

In addition, Ventsislav Karadjov, Chairman of the Bulgarian Commission for Personal Data Protection and Latvia’s Jekaterina Macuka, also head of the national privacy regulator, have also been named, though neither could be reached for comment.

The EDPS is less powerful than national privacy watchdogs which may fine Big Tech companies for General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) violations, though it can hold the EU institutions accountable for privacy compliance.

Last March the EDPS found that the Commission’s use of Microsoft products was not in line with data protection rules, for example. In addition, it drafts opinions and advises both the Commission and European Parliament on privacy related policies and legislation.