The Conference of European Data Protection Authorities, the Spring Conference provides a forum for cooperation and exchanging information among European Authorities.

In 2023, the 31th edition of Spring Conference took place in Hungary on 10-12^th May consisting of a closed and an open session. At the Spring Conference 138 members registered for the closed session, and around 358 non-members for the open session from 39 countries.

The closed session dealt with four topics: New Technologies, Competition Law, Court Decisions and Best Practices / Case Studies in Enforcement Cooperation between EEA and non-EEA countries. The panel about new technologies allowed looking into the impacts of the technology on us in particular on our thinking, on our relationships and overall, on the society. The panel focusing on competition law aimed to explore the interlinks between competition law and data protection, trying to identify how these two areas of law can support each other. Moreover, the panel dealt with best practices/case studies in Enforcement Cooperation between EEA and non-EEA countries gave insight into experiences gained in enforcement cooperation between countries outside the GDPR cooperation. Lastly, the panel focusing on Court decision was about to give an update of the most important cases of Strasbourg and Luxembourg.

For the first time at the Spring Conference, data protection officers had the opportunity to take part in an open session either online or in-person. Panels focused on DPO DPA relationship, DPO network and training and DPO’s role within the organization. The first panel was about the DPO and DPA relationship by sharing experiences and national practices. The DPO network and training panel was to explore the importance of well-developed DPO networks for keeping information, knowledge, know-how and best practices up to date, while the aim of the last one was to explore the DPO’s role within an organization to understand how they can assist, inform, advise their entities better to achieve enhanced compliance.

The Conference provided an excellent opportunity to exchange views and experiences in the framework of the Conference. The Steering Group, assisting the organisation of the conference, was of huge help for the organizing team of the Budapest conference, and will assist the next hosts as well.

The Members adopted three resolutions. In the Resolution on the need for enhanced cooperation in the field of data protection and competition law, the European Data Protection Authorities resolved inter alia to be committed to acting in a united manner and to reinforce cooperation to achieve progress both in the protection of the fundamental rights to privacy and the protection of personal data, as well as fair competition and to affirm its ambition to strengthen cooperation and the exchange of information with competition authorities to reach this goal. Moreover, the Members adopted a resolution to accredit San Marino Data Protection Authority as member of the Conference of European Data Protection Authorities with the status of National Data Protection Authority and a resolution on the revision of the Rules of Procedures of the Conference.