The Article 29 Data Protection Working Party was set up under the Directive 95/46/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 24 October 1995 on the protection of individuals with regard to the processing of personal data and on the free movement of such data. It has advisory status and acts independently.
The Article 29 Data Protection Working Party is composed of:
· a representative of the supervisory authority (ies) designated by each EU country;
· a representative of the authority (ies) established for the EU institutions and bodies;
· a representative of the European Commission.
The Working Party shall:
1. Examine any question covering the application of the national measures adopted under Directive 95/46/EC in order to contribute to the uniform application of such measures;
2. Give the European Commission an opinion on the level of protection in the Community and in third countries;
3. Advise the European Commission on any proposed amendment of Directive 95/46/EC, on the data protection legal framework in general, as well as on any additional or specific measures to safeguard the rights and freedoms of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data;
4. Give an opinion on codes of conduct drawn up at Community level in areas where personal data are concerned.
5. Inform the European Commission if finds that divergences likely to affect the equivalence of protection for persons with regard to the processing of personal data in the Community are arising between the laws or practices of Member States.
6. On its own initiative makes recommendations on all matters relating to the protection of persons with regard to the processing of personal data in the Community.
The Working Party`s opinions and recommendations shall be forwarded to the Commission and to the committee referred to in Article 31 of Directive 95/46/EC.
The Working Party shall draw up an annual report on the situation regarding the protection of natural persons with regard to the processing of personal data in the Community and in third countries, which it shall transmit to the Commission, the European Parliament and the Council. The report shall be made public.
Representatives of the Commission for Personal Data Protection are Mr. Ventsislav Karadjov, Chairman of the Commission, and Ms. Mariya Mateva, Member of the Commission.
The Article 29 Working Party is managed by a Chairman and two Vice-Chairs. The Chairwoman of the Working Party is Ms. Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, President of the French National Commission on Informatics and Liberty. On 26th November 2014 Mr. Ventsislav Karadjov – Chairman of the Bulgarian Commission for Personal Data Protection was elected Vice-Chairman to a two-year term. On its Plenary Meeting held on 12th and 13th December 2016, the Article 29 Working Party reelected Mr. Ventsislav Karadjov Vice-Chairman for the next two-year term. The other elected Vice-Chairman is Mr. Willem Debeuckelaere – President of the Belgian Commission for the Protection of Privacy.
