
Last July, the Catalan Data Protection Authority (APDCAT) presented 'DPD en xarxa', the first learning and collaboration community for data protection officers (DPO) in Catalonia. The platform was born with the aim of contributing to spreading the culture of privacy in Catalonia, with the help of DPO, as representatives of Catalan public organizations that ensure compliance with regulations, promote cooperation and collaboration between them and sharing knowledge and expertise. Until now, the DPO of entities within the scope of the APDCAT could participate, which includes public administrations such as the Generalitat, town councils, public and private universities and professional associations, among others, as well as public and private entities that provide services to the Catalan public sector.
Faced with the needs detected in these first months of operation, the APDCAT opens the network to all DPO of organizations based in Catalonia, both public and private, also from outside its scope. It has thus published a resolution that modifies the 'DPDen xarxa' user management procedure.
The initiative will serve to extend the culture of data protection to all Catalan organizations, as well as to incorporate into the network all the agents involved in the defense of privacy in Catalonia. In this way, the debate is enriched and the generation of knowledge and synergies is multiplied.
In addition, the APDCAT reminds that the opinions expressed by both members and collaborators who participate in the network do not imply an institutional position of the entity of which they are a part, unless expressly indicated.
Online sessions and working groups
The dpdenxarxa.cat platform is a meeting point for DPO in Catalonia, where they have training materials and resources to continue carrying out their work with excellence. It is also a point of exchange and collaboration to share expertise and grow professionally. Since its creation, it has hosted five online sessions with experts, such as the titular professor of Administrative Law at the University of Alicante, Rubén Martínez; the head of the APDCAT Legal Advice, Xavier Urios; lawyer Nacho Alamillo; and cyber security expert Genís Margarit. They have delved into various topics, such as the European Data Governance Regulation, the processing of personal data in the police and judicial sphere, cyber security, data protection and whistleblower law, as well as the eIDAS Regulation and the European digital wallet. A first working group has also been created, 'Methodological guidelines impact assessments, rights and freedoms', coordinated by the expert Alessandro Mantelero, and which has 13 members. So fare, the network has two hundred people registered.
Faced with the demands of the sector, the Catalan Data Protection Authority (APDCAT) has published a new resolution that extends the possibility of obtaining the status of member of the learning and collaboration network to DPDs of all organizations with based in Catalonia