Privacy & Information Security Law Blog

Commissioner Viviane Reding has been chosen as Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights, and Citizenship in the new European Commission that is set to take office in early 2010 (assuming approval by the European Parliament).  Ms. Reding's responsibilities will thus include data protection, including the Commission's ongoing review of the EU framework for data protection.  She is currently EU Commissioner for Information Society & Media, where she oversaw review of the e-Privacy Directive and the EU legislative framework for telecommunications.  Commission President Barroso appointed a separate commissioner for fundamental rights as part of a commitment he made to the European Parliament to give greater profile to such issues.  Commissioner Reding will share a Directorate-General with Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, who is in charge of Home Affairs (i.e., law enforcement).  It remains to be seen how appointing a separate commissioner in charge of fundamental rights (rather than having a single commissioner in charge of both law enforcement and fundamental rights, as is the case in the current DG Justice, Liberty and Security) will affect the data protection portfolio.