The European Banking Federation (EBF) celebrated the fourth edition of the Data Protection Officers Forum (DPO Forum) on November 30, 2023, in Brussels. The event brought together over 45 DPOs from 18 countries across Europe, along with representatives from Data Protection Authorities (DPAs), the European Commission, and other key institutions.

Brussels, 30 November 2023

This year’s edition was organized in partnership with TRUST aWARE, a European Commission-funded project dedicated to providing a holistic and effective Digital Security & Privacy (S&P) framework. This framework includes a range of novel and integrated tools and services co-created by citizens and stakeholders to identify, audit, analyse, prevent, and mitigate the impact of various S&P threats associated with citizens’ digital activities. Notable developments from TRUST aWARE include a reporting capability designed to provide insights about security and privacy threats to DPOs, DPAs, and Cybersecurity Emergency Response Teams (CERTs).

The primary objectives of the EBF DPO Forum are to delve into practical challenges stemming from the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and to facilitate the exchange of best practices. The event served as an open forum for ongoing discussions, encouraging dialogue and communication among regulators, supervisors, and authorities with a specific focus on issues pertinent to the banking sector.

The forum covered several critical topics, including the role of DPOs in embedding Artificial Intelligence (AI) into banking processes, exploring generative AI’s potential, challenges, and risk mitigation strategies. Additionally, participants engaged in discussions about best practices and challenges concerning the Right of Access within the current regulatory framework. The landscape for compliance, encompassing GDPR, EDPB guidelines, and relevant CJEU cases, was examined, with a particular emphasis on compliance in the banking sector and potential challenges tied to sectoral requirements. Finally, the DPOs also explored the impact on data protection of new developments in the European digital policy agenda, with a focus on initiatives such as the Digital Euro, Payment Services Regulation (PSR), and Financial Instrument Digital Agenda (FIDA) proposals.

The success of the fourth edition of the DPO Forum underscores the importance of collaborative efforts in navigating the evolving landscape of data protection and digital privacy. The exchange of knowledge and best practices at the forum contributes to strengthening the role of DPOs in addressing emerging challenges and ensuring robust compliance with data protection regulations.