Statement by Coordinator, Director Frederik Kortbæk
I am extremely encouraged as well as delighted that we have achieved as much as we have since the launch of The European Privacy Institute Initiative early December 2006.
Today (Stand: September 2009) The Scientific Advisory Committee and the Executive Committee counts 91 members representing 59 universities, 11 research institutions, 9 organizations, 6 consultancies and 2 EU research centres from 32 European countries including all 27 EU countries, 3 EU associated countries and 2 EU candidate countries. It has been an overwhelming experience to see so many key European scientists, researchers and experts team up on this visionary project. In this connection I would like to accentuate the backing of colleagues from the newest EU countries, Bulgaria and Romania and from Turkey and Croatia as EU candidate countries in particular.
It is clear that the nature of privacy is designed to promote a dynamic and sustainable democratic society. We are facing many challenges but we also have the opportunity to set out a new agenda for European privacy research. A new research institution created by EU accession gives authority and this recognition should have the effect of placing privacy more centrally in European general efforts to address the realisation of human rights and fundamental freedoms as it is obvious that we need to both increase the positive and to limit the negative impacts of scientific and technological development on privacy. The immense and enthusiastic support for this initiative is indeed bridging Europe in an excellent manner.
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Chair of the Executive Committee
Borka Jerman-Blažič