The year 2024 marked the conclusion of the EDPS Strategy 2020–2024, which aimed to shape a safer, fairer, and more sustainable digital Europe (→eucrim 1/2020, 102). To this end, on 6 March 2025, the EDPS published a review of its activities during this period.

While the mandate began under the unexpected circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic, much of the focus subsequently shifted to anticipating future privacy challenges. This involved gaining a better understanding of forthcoming developments in the technology sector from a privacy and data protection perspective. One example of this is the TechSonar project (→eucrim 4/2022, 238-239), launched in 2021. In addition, the TechDispatch project, which provides a closer and more in-depth look at specific technologies that may have a significant impact on privacy and data protection, received the Global Privacy and Data Protection Award 2021 in the Education and Public Awareness category.

Over the course of this mandate, the EDPS issued Opinions, Joint Opinions with the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), and Formal Comments, and also responded to informal consultations on a range of topics. In the area of Justice and Home Affairs, the EDPS published Opinions on legislative proposals such as the expansion of Europol's mandate, the EU Police Cooperation Code package, and regulations on the collection and transfer of Advance Passenger Information (API), as well as on a number of international agreements on the exchange of personal data between Europol and Eurojust and the competent authorities of non-EU/EEA countries, and others. Aditionally, the EDPS issued a series of Formal and Informal Comments on draft implementing and delegated acts related to the development and use of EU large-scale IT systems (LSITS), including Eurodac, the Schengen Information System (SIS), and the Visa Information System (VIS). The EDPS also contributed to the debate on highly intrusive modern spyware and closely monitored the challenging and complex discussions on the retention and access to electronic data by law enforcement authorities.