Anu Talus, Finland’s Data Protection Ombudsman, was elected, on 25 May, as the Chair of the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) for a term of five years. She was elected with 19 votes out of 27 DPAs, in two rounds.

Talus, head of Finland’s DPA office since 2020 (and previous Deputy) said: “The EDPB has a solid foundation to work on. We must ensure that the EDPB remains a strong body.”

“Part of the newly adopted EU digital legislation overlaps with the GDPR. Going forward, it is crucial to ensure that the legal framework related to data protection is coherent, that the competences of the EDPB are safeguarded and that fragmentation is avoided. Grey areas are in no-one’s favour, not the individuals whose personal data we protect, nor economic operators who need legal certainty.”