Minister of Justice, Public Administration and Digital Transformation Damir Habijan participated in the conference "Risks and Compliance in the Age of AI" marking the 20th anniversary of personal data protection framework in Croatia and establishment of the Personal Data Protection Agency.
In his opening address, Minister Habijan congratulated the Personal Data Protection Agency on the important anniversary, recalling that we also mark the sixth anniversary of the application of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
“20 years ago, when the Agency became operational, no one could have imagined how much the world would change, especially with the development of new technologies. Today we are all aware that we live in a time when artificial intelligence is changing the rules of the game and affecting many areas, increasing economic potential and that of society as a whole, but at the same time undoubtedly affecting the freedoms and rights of all of us as individuals", said Minister Habijan.
The Minister emphasised that the protection of personal data is a constitutional category, embedded in national and international regulations: "It is precisely this constitutionality that guarantees a serious commitment of the institutions and society to keep up with the new challenges and rapid technological progress. Aware of the importance of the topic, this Government is committed to the continuous development of high standards of personal data protection and cybersecurity."
Minister Habijan also underlined the importance of accountability of legislative bodies and their duty to call attention to ethical principles, security and integrity and to provide a clear legislative framework guaranteeing the right to personal data protection, while enabling digital development.
"A few days ago, I was appointed as the minister in charge of justice and public administration as well as digital transformation. This is the first time since Croatia’s independence that there is a ministerial portfolio in the Government dedicated to digitalisation, or rather digital transformation, which I think is absolutely in line with the strategic documents of the European Union", added Minister Habijan.
"Croatia has adopted a number of good practices in the field of personal data protection, but there is always room for improvement. Considering the global trends and social dynamics, it is important to keep up with new challenges in order to further strengthen the area of personal data protection and raise data flow security to a new, more secure level.
Once again, congratulations on the 20 years, and congratulations on last year's results, which are an indicator of the justification of the Agency's operation, and considering this new segment of my portfolio as Minister, I expect a good and fruitful cooperation", concluded Minister Habijan.
Conference participants were also addressed by Mr Zdravko Vukić, Director of the Croatian Personal Data Protection Agency, Ms Limor Shmerling Magazanik, Leader of the OECD’s work on accession in relation to data governance, privacy, and digital security, and Nataša Tramišak, MP and envoy of the President of the Croatian Parliament, and, via video link, Ms Ana Talus, Chair of the European Data Protection Board and Mr Wojciech Wiewiórowski, European Data Protection Supervisor.
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