Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner

The Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC ) (French Préposé fédéral à la protection des données et à la transparence, Italian Incaricato federale della protezione dei dati e della trasparenza ) is the Privacy and Freedom of Information Officer for Switzerland, with headquarters in Bern. By July 2006, he was responsible only for data protection as Federal Data Protection Commissioner (EDPS ).

Its legal status and responsibilities are set out in section five of the Federal Data Protection Act and in the fourth section of the Federal Law on the Principle of management ( public law ).

His responsibilities therefore include the oversight of federal bodies and individuals who support and advise the authorities of the Federation and the cantons, comments on draft legislation of the Federal Government, providing advice to private persons and public information.

The Data Protection and Information Commissioner advises both legal ( privacy law) as well as on technical issues (backup).

Under the Freedom of Information Act, the commissioner has several functions: information and advice from private individuals who require access to official documents, consulting with the federal agencies and departments in the implementation of the Freedom of Information Act, management of the arbitration procedure in case of disagreement, submit a written recommendation to the attention of the participants. The commissioner also reviewed implementation, effectiveness and cost of public law and report to the Federal Council regular reports.

The commissioner is a member of the International Conference of Data Protection Commissioner and the protection of privacy. Current FDPIC Hanspeter door, which until September 16, 2005 was also the host of the International Data Protection Conference in Montreux on 14.