The Privacy Symposium, an international event dealing with data governance, regulatory compliance and innovative technologies, took place in Venice from April 20^th to 24^th  2026. In this context, Alessandro Vasta of Tonucci & Partners moderated the panel “The EU Digital Agenda and Simplification: The DPO’s Place in the Next Phase of EU Data Governance” coordinating the discussion among @Pádraig O’Leary, @Caroline Goulding, @Pavol Szabo, and @Nathalie Chiche.

The conversation explored the impact of European Union initiatives aimed at simplifying several EU regulations regarding new technologies and data governance, with particular focus on the elimination of constraints related to a more efficient use of data and information, as well as the stimulation of competitiveness and coordination among organizational compliance models. The kernel of the discussion was the function of the Data Protection Officer (DPO), who is required to maintain a key responsibility and assurance role even inside increasingly integrated and streamlined structures. The topics addressed regarded mainly the appropriate positioning of DPO within organizations, the identification of the essential responsibilities of their tasks and the internal coordination methods required to ensure that simplification processes is supposed to strengthen—and not weaken—the effectiveness of compliance systems and protection of fundamental rights.