Enforcing Data Protection in Law Enforcement : challenges on the ground and operational solutions

  • Panel
  • Grande Halle
  • Wednesday 20.05 — 10:30 - 11:45

Organising Institution

EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)

Europe

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is an independent agency of the European Union that provides expert advice and data on fundamental rights issues to EU institutions and member states. Established in 2007 and based in Vienna, it conducts research, collects and analyses data, and publishes reports on topics such as equality, non-discrimination, migration, access to justice, and data protection. The FRA does not create laws or enforce them; instead, it supports evidence-based policymaking by helping ensure that fundamental rights—such as those enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights—are respected and upheld across the Union.
  • Academic 2
  • Business 1
  • Policy 3
While the GDPR has been the focus of many debates, the legal framework governing the use of personal data by law enforcement has often gone unnoticed: the law enforcement directive. The way police can use personal data for investigations is also limited by data protection, yet its implementation remains challenging. By bringing together practitioners and experts, this panel aims to bridge the gap between legal principles and operational realities on the ground. We’ll look at the day‑to‑day challenges law enforcement authorities face in applying the LED’s safeguards and highlight the organisational and technical measures that genuinely help operational staff get data protection right. As law enforcement increasingly relies on digital tools and data analytics, the discussion will also consider how new technologies can be developed and used in full respect of fundamental rights.

Questions to be answered

  1. What are the concrete difficulties of applying the LED for law enforcement and judicial authorities?
  2. Do you have examples of concrete solutions that proved to effectively support operational staff into implementing LED legal requirements?
  3. How can law enforcement effectively prevent and detect crime while respecting principles such as data minimisation and purpose limitation?
  4. Police is increasingly using new technologies to access data and support investigations. What can be done to ensure these are developed/used in full respect of fundamental rights?

Moderator

Elise Lassus

EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) - Europe

Elise Lassus works as a project manager in the Justice, Digital and Migration Unit of the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA). Her areas of expertise with respect to the FRA’s work include: privacy and data protection legal frameworks, as well as research and analysis on topics linked to information society and new technologies. Notably, she has worked on projects related to surveillance by intelligence surveillance in the EU, to anti-racism in policing, to preventing unlawful profiling, or the Handbook on European Data Protection Law. She is currently coordinating research on the implementation of the Law Enforcement Directive by competent authorities and its enforcement by national supervisory authorities, and on a Handbook on fundamental rights and cybercrime. Prior to joining FRA, she worked at the European Commission within DG EMPL (on policies related to the fight against discrimination) and DG SANCO (on policies related to consumers’ protection, notably medical devices and cosmetics’ legislation). She studied foreign languages and civilizations, and holds Master’s degrees in Human Rights, in European studies, and in Political Science with a focus on religions and societies.

Speaker

Liam Behan

An Garda Síochána - Ireland

Liam Behan is the Data Protection Officer for An Garda Síochána (Police Force of the republic of Ireland). Liam has worked in the Data Protection Unit in a variety of roles since 2018 and has recently been appointed as the DPO. Liam worked in Garda National Immigration Bureau for eleven years before joining the Data Protection Unit.

Speaker

Anna Moscibroda

European Commission (DG JUST) - Belgium

Anna Moscibroda is a Head of Sector at the European Commission (DG JUST), leading the team focused on data protection within law enforcement, criminal justice, and border management. Since 2014, she has been at the forefront of policy regarding security and migration systems, specifically overseeing the implementation of the Law Enforcement Directive (LED). Her professional background bridges enforcement and academia, with prior experience as a case handler at DG Competition and a legal researcher at the VUB’s Centre for Law, Science, Technology & Society (LSTS).

Speaker

Chloé Berthélémy

EDRi European Digital Rights - Belgium

Chloé Berthélémy is Senior Policy Advisor at European Digital Rights (EDRi), a collective of NGOs, experts, advocates and academics working to defend and advance digital rights across Europe. She leads EDRi's work on law enforcement, state surveillance and data protection issues."

Speaker

Stéphanie Mihail

European Data Protection Board (EDPB) - International

Stephanie MIHAIL, Legal Officer at the Secretariat of the European Data Protection Board ('EDPB'). She previously worked as a Legal officer at the European Commission (DG CNECT). Prior to that, she worked as a legal researcher at the KU Leuven Centre for IT & IP Law, with a focus on data protection and privacy and as senior legal advisor at Deloitte. From 2006-2013, she worked as a solicitor in Athens.