Aiming for effective co-regulation of data protection: policies and practices of the Dutch DPA 

Council of Europe, 30 januari 2003

Author: Ulco van de Pol

The Dutch Data Protection Authority plays various roles as a public watchdog in the privacy arena. They include providing guidance to the public, acting as an adviser, conducting research and imposing sanctions. The DPA’s position as an independent supervisory authority must be safeguarded in each of these roles. Failing to clearly separate these functions would undermine trust in the DPA.

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Our central policy question is how to fulfil our range of personal data protection tasks in the most effective way. Over the past few years we have developed a strategy for making practical policy decisions and using our resources and staffing effectively. Two terms sum up our strategy: a four-track policy and a second-line position.