EFDPO European Federation of Data Protection Officers

What EFDPO European Federation of Data Protection Officers does

EFDPO (European Federation of Data Protection Officers) is a Brussels-registered international non-profit association (AISBL) founded in 2020 that functions as the pan-European umbrella organization for national Data Protection Officer associations. It coordinates 12 effective and 5 associate member associations spanning Austria, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, French Polynesia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Liechtenstein, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Switzerland, Brazil, Croatia, Denmark, and Georgia. Its core deliverables are policy advocacy and institutional dialogue with the European Commission, Parliament, Council of the EU, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB), and national supervisory authorities; information exchange among national DPO associations; and the production of position papers and working groups on topics including GDPR implementation, AI governance, and health data protection.

The organization's product surface is service-oriented rather than technology-based. EFDPO operates a website (efdpo.eu) with self-hosted Matomo analytics and delivers content via Microsoft Teams and Luma webinar platforms; no proprietary technology platform is disclosed. Its flagship commercial offering is the annual EFDPO Conference in Berlin, hosted in cooperation with the German member association BvD, priced at €595 for members and €795 for non-members, with a €195 online participation tier added for 2026. It also runs webinars, co-organizes sessions at partner events (Privacy Symposium Venice, Privacy Days Prague, EHDPC Paris), and is supported by event sponsors such as Google.

EFDPO's revenue model combines recurring membership dues from national DPO associations with transactional revenue from conference and webinar registrations, plus occasional event sponsorship. Leadership is composed of volunteer/part-time officers: President Thomas Spaeing (also Chairman of BvD Germany), Secretary General Pierre-Yves Lactic (former Chief Privacy Officer at Sanofi), and Vice Presidents representing Austria, France, Portugal, and the Czech Republic. The organization holds no venture capital or external ownership and operates as a self-sustaining federation.

Name

EFDPO European Federation of Data Protection Officers

Legal name

European Federation of Data Protection Officers AISBL

Website

https://efdpo.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EFDPO is a Brussels-based non-profit federation coordinating 17 national Data Protection Officer associations across Europe and beyond. It advocates on GDPR policy with EU institutions, runs the annual Berlin conference, and provides networking and working groups for European DPOs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Association Services / Privacy Advocacy

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), International Affairs (92812)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Intergovernmental Affairs & Federal Grants Administration (BPAIAAAC)

Keywords

• Data protection advocacy
• Professional federation services
• Privacy regulation events
• DPO association network
• European compliance training

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: National associations of data protection officers pay membership fees to join EFDPO network, gaining access to exchange of information, dialogue with supervisory authorities, joint events, and member discounts.
2. Conference and Event Registration: Revenue from in-person conference registration fees (Member price €595, Non-member price €795 for 2025 Berlin conference) and online webinar participation. Includes working documents, certificate of attendance, meals, and gala dinner.
3. Webinar Events: Online webinar events on topics like EU regulatory simplification for AI and health data, EU-U.S. data transfers, and Turkish SCCs, with free registration for members of member associations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

EFDPO is a non-profit umbrella federation representing national Data Protection Officers associations across Europe. It delivers membership services to national DPO associations, organizes an annual conference and regular webinars, coordinates working groups, and produces policy position papers to engage with EU institutions on data protection regulation.

Product overview

EFDPO is a European federation serving as an umbrella organization for national data protection officer associations. Rather than a software product company, EFDPO provides professional networking services including a pan-European network for information exchange, position papers and advocacy for DPO interests, organized conferences and events, and working groups on specialized topics. The organization represents 14 effective members and 6 associate members across European and international associations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Established as recognized European-level representation for DPOs

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Privacy SymposiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 April 2026EFDPO is a proud member of the Organizing Committee of Privacy Symposium, an international conference for data protection professionals. EFDPO organizes networking events and panels at the annual conference, offering 100+ sessions with 300+ speakers and data protection authorities.
• Czech Data Protection Association (SPOOU)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 March 2026Co-organizer of online event 'A Decade of GDPR: Its influence beyond the EU' focusing on inspirational impact of GDPR in countries outside the EEA.
• European Data Protection Board (EDPB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFDPO serves as policy partner to EDPB, engaging in continuous dialogue on GDPR implementation, coordinated enforcement actions, and shaping guidance documents.
• European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the EUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFDPO establishes representation of interests for DPOs as partner of major European institutions, proactively monitoring and shaping GDPR implementation and other European privacy legislation.
• Czech Office for Personal Data ProtectionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperation on Privacy Days Prague conference organized by Czech Data Protection Association with support from the Czech supervisory authority.
• GoogleminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent partner for EFDPO conferences, providing sponsorship support for events like Privacy Symposium networking events and conference sessions.
• BvD (German Association of Data Protection Officers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost organizer for EFDPO Berlin conferences. BvD is the German member association and primary conference host for EFDPO's annual European conferences.
• EHDPC (European Health Data Protection Congress)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFDPO cooperates with European Health Data Protection Congress, a forum for intersection of health data, AI, and privacy in life sciences and healthcare sectors.
• Norwegian Association of Data Protection OfficersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizer of member meetings on topics like European digital sovereignty and open source alternatives to Big Tech, hosted by the Norwegian member association.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• ISACA: Global professional association for IT governance, risk, cybersecurity, and privacy, offering certifications (CIPP-adjacent, CISM, CISA). Operates a broader portfolio of which privacy is one component — overlaps with EFDPO's professional development and certification remit for DPOs.
• (ISC)²: Global cybersecurity professional association with certifications such as CISSP and CCSP. Comparable in operating a member-led professional body model for a related security/privacy domain, but with broader security focus.

Others

• EDRi (European Digital Rights): European civil-society umbrella advocating for digital rights and privacy at EU level. Comparable in operating a federation model engaging EU institutions on privacy policy, but from a civil-society rather than professional DPO perspective.

Direct peers

• IAPP (International Association of Privacy Professionals): The dominant global professional association for privacy, AI governance, and data protection professionals, offering certifications, training, and policy advocacy. Closely comparable to EFDPO in mission — representing the DPO/privacy profession — but globally scaled and commercially funded.
• BvD (Berufsverband der Datenschutzbeauftragten Deutschlands): The German national DPO association, also a core member of EFDPO and host organizer for EFDPO's Berlin conferences. Operates a comparable model at the national level with membership, events, and policy engagement.
• AFCDP (Association Française des Correspondants à la protection des Données à caractère Personnel): The leading French DPO professional association, represented in EFDPO governance. Comparable in offering membership, training, and policy positioning for French DPOs at the national level.

Regional players

• European Cyber Security Organisation (ECSO): European umbrella association representing the cybersecurity industry and public stakeholders in EU policy. Comparable federation-style model engaging EU institutions, but for cybersecurity rather than privacy specifically.

Emerging players

• Future of Privacy Forum: Non-profit think tank focused on data protection policy and best practices. Comparable to EFDPO in its policy advocacy function but U.S.-anchored and more academic/thought-leadership oriented.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/efdpo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/efdpo-eu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about EFDPO European Federation of Data Protection Officers