President of the PL SA at the conference of the Association of Data Protection Practitioners

Mirosław Wróblewski, President of the Personal Data Protection Office, opened the 2nd Conference of the Association of Data Protection Practitioners “GDPR Guidelines in Falenty,” which took place on September 22-24, 2025.

The three-day event brought together data protection officers affiliated with the Association of Data Protection Practitioners. The meeting was an opportunity to exchange experiences, review trends, and attempt to answer the most frequently asked questions related to the daily work of DPOs.

“The idea behind the Association of Data Protection Practitioners is that we should talk to each other and exchange experiences, rather than compete with each other. DPOs often say that they are alone in their advisory work. I am not alone, and I wish the same for all of you. Let's talk to each other,” said Magdalena Szczytko-Sołtysiak, president of the Association of Data Protection Practitioners, at the beginning of the conference.

In his speech, the President of the Personal Data Protection Office summarised the activities of the Office in 2024, referring to statistics on complaints, breaches, inspections, and fines, as well as to legislation and the new responsibilities of the Office. He emphasised that financial fines are not an end in themselves: "Enforcing the obligations under the GDPR—including ensuring the rights of data subjects and educating on data protection—are two priorities for the Office.

He also pointed out that one of the initiatives undertaken is the creation of the position of data protection officer in the civil service. The President of the Personal Data Protection Office also emphasised the Office's active participation in the legislative process: "We do not have legislative initiative, but we issue opinions on numerous legal acts in terms of ensuring effective protection of personal data already at the stage of their creation or amendment. This year, we also conducted a series of training courses for legislators. We hope that this will significantly improve the quality of the law and, indirectly, the quality of personal data protection," said Mirosław Wróblewski.

In the context of security, he added: “The protection of personal data must be an integral part of thinking about national security.”

Max Schrems, founder of the NOYB foundation, was also a guest at the conference, speaking about the challenges associated with data transfers between the US and the EU.

The Association of Data Protection Practitioners’ conference confirmed that cooperation and exchange of experiences are crucial for the further development of personal data protection standards in Poland.