The EDPS' 2020-2024 mandate has been synonymous with adaptability and resilience. It started with a challenging year that none of us expected with a global pandemic, which not only dramatically changed the way we live and work, but also brought at the centre of public debate the role and nature of our fundamental rights, including the rights to privacy and data protection. My institution responded promptly to these new challenges by establishing an internal COVID-19 taskforce to coordinate and proactively undertake actions related to the interplay between privacy and the pandemic. As supervisor of the EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies (EUIs), we championed the highest standards of legal compliance necessary for their effectiveness, as proven by our audits, investigations, supervisory opinions, guidelines and training sessions. An efficient administration is an administration that respects the rule of law and acts on the basis of the law, not around it. In the field of policy advice, we delivered a significant number of Opinions on legislative initiatives that have an impact on the protection of individuals' personal data, including the EU's new digital rule book and the European Health Data Space. Our Opinions are based on the conviction that data generated in Europe should be processed according to European values, to shape a safer digital future.
