January is obviously a month during which various plans for 2012 are being made by the European institutions. Also the European Data Protection Supervisor (EDPS) published today his priorities for the coming year as far as legislative initiatives are concerned (the Inventory). The Inventory lists areas in which legislative consultations are to take place with regard to the data protection. Main issues concern: revision of the legal framework for data protection, pan-European framework for electronic idenditifcation, internet monitoring (including enforcement of IP rights), cloud computing services, eHealth, review of the Data Retention Directive, negotations on agreements with third countries on data protection. There is also a possibility that certain guidelines will be published regarding technical or societal phenomena that affect personal data protection (e.g. 'naming and shaming' practices) or e.g. provisions concerning exchanges of information.
