The “Spring Conference” stands as the annual gathering for all data protection authorities across European states, both within and outside the EEA. Each year, a diverse member of the Conference takes the lead in hosting this pivotal event.

The mission of the Spring Conference encompasses:

• Addressing Common Interests: Tackling issues of mutual concern, emerging trends, and innovative developments in the realm of privacy and data protection. This pertains to the European context, with a global outlook to consider relevant developments worldwide, thereby informing European progress.
• Reflecting Pan-European Membership: Echoing the pan-European composition of its membership, the Conference aims to fortify relationships among regulators across Europe, enhancing their capacity to deliberate on communiques or resolutions.
• Promoting Cooperation: Building collaboration between diverse systems in Europe and the professionals operating within these systems. This pursuit aims to establish an unparalleled regional data privacy ecosystem.
• Emphasis on Practical Exchange: Concentrating on the practical exchange and discussion of best practices in the development and implementation of policies and privacy-related legislation. Additionally, a focus on stakeholder engagement activities aims to empower Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) in effectively fulfilling their mandate.

About the Group

The European Conference of Data Protection Authorities stands as the annual meeting for independent data protection authorities across European states, both within and outside the EEA, to provide a forum for cooperation, to tackle issues of mutual concerns and exchange of best practice in the field of privacy and data protection.

The Conference consists of the Annual Plenary, the Steering Group and Sub-Groups. In May 2022, the Conference mandated the establishment of an Interim Steering Group to update the Rules and Procedures to reflect the proposed Mission and the Vision of the Conference and also to create a permanent Steering Group, to describe the role and mission of such Group, and to clarify the Conference Accreditation Rules. This Interim Steering Group paved the way for the creation of a permanent Steering Group of the Spring Conference, which was officially established in May 2023. Hence, the mandate of the Interim Steering Group ended in May 2023.

Membership

The permanent Steering Group comprises up to 8 members: the previous, current and future Conference hosts and (optionally) the current host of the European Case Handling Workshop (ECHW), plus up to four ordinary seats. To provide balance and continuity to the Steering Group, ordinary seats serve for three years, unless they wish to step down.

Since May 2023, the following members occupy the available seats of the Steering Group:

Coordinator

Per the Rules and Procedures of the Conference, the position is agreed upon by consensus annually by the Members of the Group itself and announced to the Conference. The Personal Data Protection Service of Georgia volunteered as a candidate for the Coordinator role.

With the support and upon the decisions of the Steering Group Members, in 2023, the Personal Data Protection Service of Georgia was appointed and announced as a Coordinator of the Steering Group.

* Note: In 2023, the Data Protection Authority of Iceland occupied the seat as a host authority of the 33rd edition of the Spring Conference, but later, the authority stepped down and was replaced by the new host of the plenary in 2025.