On 30 June 2020, the EDPS presented its new Strategy for the years 2020-2024. Under the title “Shaping a Safer Digital Future: a new Strategy for a new decade”, the new Strategy sets out how the EDPS is going to carry out its statutory functions and to deploy its resources in the given period. In order to achieve this aim, the Strategy is based on three pillars: foresight, action, and solidarity.

Hence, the EDPS commits to being a smart institution taking a long-term view of trends in data protection as well as the legal, societal and technological context. Measures to achieve this aim may include, for instance, the monitoring of jurisprudence; making an inventory of the measures introduced by EU institutions and bodies during the COVID-19 crisis; as well as organising and facilitating discussions with experts from all different fields. Furthermore, the EDPS intends to actively follow trends and evolutions in the field of new technologies and to monitor developments in the field of Justice and Home Affairs.

Actions shall include the proactive development of tools for EU institutions and bodies so as to contribute, for instance, to the development of strong and effective oversight mechanisms; to the minimisation of the reliance on monopoly providers of communications and software services; and to monitor the interoperability of EU systems. Furthermore, the EDPS will continue to contribute to the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) so as to ensure the consistent application and enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and to contribute to the update of the EU’s data protection framework for the digital age.

Finally, the EDPS intends to actively promote justice and the rule of law by advising, advocating, and contributing to the fundamental rights to data protection and privacy with different platforms and stakeholders. In addition, the EDPS plans to support measures and ideas in order to make data processing and protection go green.