PanEuropean Commissioner for Data Protection, Walter to EF: Start by checking our own Organisations

*Strasbourg/CoE/Angelo Marcopolo/- Speaking to "Eurofora" just after being Elected, earlier Today, as the New PanEuropean Commissioner for Data Protection, Jean-Philippe Walter, an Experienced former Long-Time President of CoE's Experts in that area, and the man who pushed all the way along the Recent "Modernisation" of its Pioneer, Historic Convention, in close "Coordination" with the EU, surprized by Announcing his Intention to : - "First, Examine what is going on, in this regard, Inside the CoE itself !", as he told us for Strasbourg's 47 Member Countries - strong Organisation, which Includes also Russia and various Other Countries.

Walter was Officially Elected Today by CoE's competent "Committee for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing of Personal Data", during its Weekly Plenary Session of 19-21 June 2018.

The Event was announced during an Exceptional International Conference on the current Perspectives for Wider Cooperation in the Field of Data Protection for the foreseable Future, Both between EU and COE, as well as at a more or less Global Level, (Comp. also : ..., etc).

"Eurofora" has Already met with, and Published Walter's various Replies to our Questions on Topical Issues, at several Earlier Occasions in the Past, (as, f.ex., at : ... + ..., etc).

After Graduating with a Master in Law from the University of Fribourg, in Switzerland, Jean-Philippe Walter succesfully presented a Doctoral Thesis on "the Protection of the (Human) Personality during the Processing of Data for Statistical reasons", and Worked as University Assistant, Legal Expert at the Swiss Federal  Administration, Head of Data Protection at the Ministry of Justice, and Deputy Federal Commissioner on Data Protection and Information (from 1993 until Now : 2018), as well as vice-Chairman of the French-Speaking Association of Data Protection Authorities during a Decade (2007-12/2016), while also Regularly making Working Visits at the COE in Strasbourg for about 30 Years, where he Chaired its PanEuropean Committee of Experts on Data Protection, and, Twice, also CoE's Committee on its relevant, Pioneer Convention, (known as "108"), before Dealing, more Recently, with its Modernisation, in Coordination with the EU's relevant Directive on 2018, etc.

Thus, Walter's usual Scope is much Larger than CoE's 47 Member States, (including Russia, etc), since its above-mentioned Convention already has 52 Member Countries, and its New, recently Modernized Version is Aimed to Become progressively Global, (Comp., f.ex., at : ..., etc).

- While Stressing that, First of all, it was very "Important to have a Good European Coordination", between EU and the CoE, in order to Better "Integrate" EU's recent Directive with CoE's Pioneer and recently Modernized landmark Convention on Data Protection, as well as ECHR's "Historic" relevant "Case Law", Walter, also pointed Today at the "Strong Interest" that are showing, in this regard, Various Countries in the World, (Comp. also "Eurofora"s NewsReport : ...).

+ At the same time, Walter also spoke Now in Favor of "Transparency", including "vis a vis Civil Society", as well as in favor of the search of the Largest possible "Consensus", if not "Unanimity", at the end of the process.

- Walter told "Eurofora" that he Expects, for the New, "Modernized" Version of CoE's landmark, Historic Convention on Individuals' Data Protection, - for which he Succeeded to Efficiently Contribute Both for the closest possible Agreement with the EU, and to Find a Deal with Russia on a series of Key points (including on Security and Trans-Border Data Flows in relation with USA's role in recent practice, etc) - to probably get more than 28 or 30 Signatures from European Countries on Autumn 2018, before Reaching the Threshold of 37 Ratifications, in order to Enter into Force during the Next Few Years.

- In Fact, our (CoE's) Initial "Draft" Text, has Not Changed Very Much, and we Could have Arrived at a Conclusion much Earlier, but "Brussels' Agenda" from the EU "Influenced" CoE's course, as well as the Need to Broker an Agreement with Russia, etc. However, it was Worthwhile to strive for the Largest possible EU-CoE "Coordination" and Political "Consensus", he pointed out.

Simple People might probably Like to See CoE's new Commissioner on Data Protection to Dare immediately Check rather such things as our everyday ...SmartPhones, and/or "Twitter"'s recent Controversial Policies, etc., the Soonest possible, after he finishes asap. with his Idea to First "Check inside CoE", as he Told us, (Comp. Supra).

But, if he insists to really practice his "Transparency", prior "Consultation", close "Coordination", and/or the Largest "Consensus"-Seeking Methods (Comp. Supra), also throughout PanEuropean CoE's various Buildings, who have progressively Mushroomed around Strasbourg's European Quarter, then, they might have to ...Wait a bit :

However, Hopefully Not so much as his Team of Experts was obliged to give for that recent "Modernization" of COE's Historic "Convention 108", (now Changed into "Convention 108+"), for the reasons explained above (and that he Regretted) : More than 7 Years (2009-2018) !

That's probably one reason more for which Walter appeared, Today, speaking to "Eurofora", rather Glad to be called, No more "Mr. President" (of a CoE's Committee, as in the Past), but, from Now on, "Mr. Commissioner"...

It might make some things much more Easy.

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