New chair of the European Data Protection Board elected

The National Centre for Personal Data Protection, for information purposes, announces the appointment of Ms Anu Talus as Chair of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), replacing the current Chair, Andrea Jelinek. She was elected by 19 votes out of 27 in two ballots on 25 May at the 80th Plenary Session.

Anu Talus is Director of the Finnish Data Protection Authority, a position she will combine with that of Chair of the EDPB.

In accordance with Article 73 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679, the Council elects a Chair and two Vice-Chairs from among its members by an absolute majority and by secret ballot. Their term of office is for a period of five years and may be renewed once. The EDPB Chair supervises all tasks of the Board and ensures that they are carried out in a timely manner.

At the same time, Ms Irene Loizidou Nikolaidou (Commissioner of the Cyprus Data Protection Authority), was elected as the new EDPB Vice-Chair, while Vice-Chair Aleid Wolfsen remains in office, his term of office ending on 15 May 2024.

The EDPB is an independent European body that contributes to the consistent application of data protection rules across the European Union and promotes cooperation between EU data protection authorities (DPAs). The EDPB was established under Article 68 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and is supported in its work by the EDPB Secretariat. The Secretariat carries out its tasks as instructed by the Chair. It provides analytical, administrative and logistical support to the Council; organises all meetings of the Administrative Board and manages the IT platforms used by the EDPB. In addition, the Secretariat has a major role in providing legal analysis.