The data protection authorities of Slovenia, Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic and Hungary adopted a joint declaration following their annual meeting to highlight the challenges they face.

Gathered in Ljubljana from 14 to 16 September 2026, the authorities expressed their concerns regarding their limited resources in the face of an increasing and complex workload. They emphasize a growing need for IT expertise, notably with new skills arising from the digital regulatory framework such as the Artificial Intelligence (AI) Regulation, which faces financial constraints. To address this, they propose the creation of a European platform to facilitate the sharing of IT experts between authorities. Faced with the increase in complaints, including those generated by AI, they call on legislators to consider simplified administrative procedures for faster processing.
Regarding the proposed changes in the digital omnibus legislative package, the authorities strongly oppose any modification of the definition of "personal data" through this means, fearing a reduction in the protection of individuals in the European Economic Area (EEA) and legal uncertainty. While they support simplifications, such as for data breach notifications, they insist on avoiding changes that would reduce legal clarity or increase the burden on controllers and processors. The next meeting will be held in Vienna in 2027, organized by the Austrian authority.