The Support Pool of Experts (SPE) is a key initiative of the EDPB, which is part of the EDPB 2024-2027 Strategy.
The main objective of this programme is to help European Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) increase their capacity to supervise and enforce data protection rules by developing common tools and giving them access to a wide pool of experts.
The EDPB aims to carry out approximately 10 projects per year with pre-eminent external experts in a given field.
The projects are coordinated either by individual DPAs or by the EDPB.
How does the Support Pool of Experts work?
A first call for expression of interest was launched in February 2022 to set up a reserve list of candidates with legal expertise and/or technical expertise. As this list is due to expire on 10 February 2026, another call for expression of interest was launched in November 2025 to establish a new reserve list of experts.
Legal and technical expertise are categorised into specialised sub-fields, covering the topics for which the EDPB may seek external expertise.
The technical sub-fields are:
- Anonymisation and pseudonymisation techniques, risk analysis and attacks with respect to data re-identification (including inference attacks), privacy enhancing technologies
- Artificial intelligence (including machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, expert systems, neural networks, deep learning, cognitive computing)
- Behavioural advertising, digital tracking, cookies, fingerprinting, RTB and internet advertising (programmatic advertising, ad exchanges, demand side platforms, SSP, data brokers, consent management platforms), ePrivacy
- Cloud computing architectures, cloud computing models, cloud infrastructures, cloud services, cloud trust and security
- Cryptology; cryptography, cryptographic schemes, protocols and functions cryptanalysis methodologies, techniques, and tools, cryptologic material management, Key management, PKI, mathematical foundations of cryptography
- Development of applications and software
- Digital forensics, eavesdropping techniques, MITM proxy
- Digital identity management and trust services (including security of electronic identification schemes, authentication, digital signatures); eIDAS, zero trust, identity federation, age verification, biometrics including facial recognition
- DPIA, personal data breaches, risk management
- Fintech
- IT auditing, information security auditing
- Social science (incl. economics, sociology, psychology)
- UX, design, graphic design, and dark patterns
- Website security, mobile OS, internet of things, mobile application
- Data science or statistical analysis in one of the above fields
- Experience in conducting exercises / training in one of the above fields
The legal sub-fields are:
- Data protection law (GDPR, LED, ePrivacy)
- Policy monitoring (including analysis of public policies and legislations)
- Technology-related law and case law (including in AI, anonymisation/pseudonymisation, behavioural advertising, cloud/data center, fintech/blockchain, identity and biometrics, telecommunications
- Related legal fields (including cyber regulation, competitive law, international law, human rights law and digital ethics)
- Statistical analysis in the selected field(s) of activity
A selection committee meets regularly to update the reserve list with all new applicants who meet the eligibility and selection criteria. There is no maximum number of experts on the list and being on the reserve list does not imply a commitment of the EDPB to launch a project with listed experts. During the opening of the first call of expression for interest, more than 900 applications were processed, and more than 600 experts were included on the reserve list.
How to apply for the Support Pool of Expert?
In November 2025, the EDPB launched a second call for expression of interest to establish a new reserve list for the Support Pool of Experts (SPE) programme.
Learn how to submit your application
The call will be open until August 2030, and the reserve list will expire on 28 November 2030.
Experts who have been included in the first reserve list (valid from 2022 to February 2026) are invited to apply for this new call. Applications made before the expiration of the first reserve list are eligible for the Fast track procedure (see Section 7 of the new Call for Expression of Interest).
Save the “contribution ID”
At the end of your application, the system will generate a personal “contribution ID”. Please take note of your “contribution ID” or save a pdf of your application, it will be required to update your profile, including for candidates accepted on the reserve list.
How to update an application?
You can access and update the application by using the corresponding “contribution ID” at the following link: https://ec.europa.eu/eusurvey/home/editcontribution
The "contribution ID” is displayed when you end and submit your application. If you have decided to “print” or “get pdf” on this screen, you can find it on the upper left side of the pdf document.
If you want to update your email address, please contact the EDPB by email at; edpb@edpb.europa.eu (add the tag [SPE] in the subject) to ensure that your contact is appropriately updated in all our databases.
Can I share that I have been accepted to the list of Support Pool of Expert experts?
Yes, if you are an expert in the Support Pool of Expert reserve list, you can communicate it on your professional profiles online or CV, as long as you clearly specify that you are not an EDPB employee and that you have not been offered a contract (unless it is the case).
Example of message: “I have been selected by the EDPB for the Support Pool of Experts reserve list and I might be assigned a project in the future.”
If you want to accurately describe what an SPE expert in the reserve list is, you can include the link to the EDPB Support Pool of Experts (SPE) Programme page.
How are experts selected for a project?
In practice, when a project is planned, the EDPB drafts Terms of Reference to describe the specific work to be done, the requirements to be taken into account (for example regarding expertise or languages) and the deliverables to be prepared. This proposal is commented by the DPAs participating in the SPE initiative and validated by a panel including the Chair and Deputy Chairs.
Based on the Terms of Reference, the most qualified experts are selected (in full respect of the principles of non-discrimination, equal treatment and absence of conflict of interest). They are selected per project according to "8.1.2 Criteria for the selection of individual experts" and "8.4.3 Convocation" of the Experts. Starting with the most qualified, selected experts are contacted to enquire about their availability and willingness to participate in the project. If all parties agree then a contract is signed, if not the next most qualified expert is contacted.
Which Support Pool of Experts projects have been completed or are ongoing?
22 projects have been launched since July 2022. 17 projects have been completed and 5 have recently started.
In total, 20 experts assisted the EDPB on projects initiated by either a DPA or the EDPB. All projects, except one dedicated to help an individual DPA, involved several authorities. For these projects, interested authorities are invited to participate and all final documents are made available to all of them at the latest upon completion of the project.
As the Support Pool of Experts relates to enforcement activities, it is not possible to disclose information about all the projects. However, when the project is of a more general nature and its outcome can be disclosed, it is made public.
For the moment, three reports relating to the analysis of published DPAs' decisions have been published:
- One-Stop-Shop thematic case digest - right to object and right to erasure' by Ass. Prof. Dr. Alessandro MANTELERO
- One-Stop-Shop thematic case digest - Security of Processing and Data Breach Notification by Prof. Dr. Eleni KOSTA
- One-Stop-Shop thematic case digest – Right of access by Prof. Dr. Hanne Marie Motzfeldt
These projects mainly aim to help the public, businesses and DPOs to have an overview of decisions relating to a given subject (and specific articles of GDPR).
The following reports were also published:
- Fundamentals of Secure AI Systems with Personal Data by Dr. Enrico GLEREAN
- Law & Compliance in AI Security & Data Protection by Dr. Marco ALMADA
- AI Privacy Risks & Mitigations Large Language Models (LLMs) by Isabel BARBERA
- Standardised Messenger Audit by Prof. Mathieu CUNCHE
- AI Auditing by Dr. Gemma GALDON CLAVELL
- Data Protection Officer training by Dr. Tihomir Katulić
- AI Risks: Optical Character Recognition and Named Entity Recognition by Isabel BARBERA GARCIA
- AI: Complex Algorithms and effective Data Protection Supervision by Dr. Kris SHRISHAK
- The Digital Euro and its token-based offline modality- an expert opinion by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tibor Jager
The EDPB launched its website auditing tool in January 2024.The software, developed by Dr. Jérôme GORIN allows the preparation, completion and evaluation of website audits directly in the tool.
The EDPB website auditing tool is a Free and Open Source Software under the EUPL 1.2 Licence. Download the source code and software on code.europa.eu and learn how to use this tool and its various features through the short video tutorial available on the same page. The tutorial was produced by the expert Mirko Camia and will guide you step-by-step.
The Croatian Data Protection Authority has performed an SPE project in order to build a “Data Protection Training Programme for Croatian DPOs in the health and education sectors”. You can learn more about this project on the AZOP website
Support Pool of Experts programme public report
What else is in the pipeline?
Since 2023, DPA enforcement experts have met three times to participate in EDPB bootcamps on the topic of website auditing tools, mobile apps auditing and AI & AI auditing. Bootcamps are organised on a yearly basis to allow experts from DPAs across Europe to share knowledge and experience and depending on the topic gain hands-on training on certain tools.
In addition, an online event for the experts included on the SPE reserve list took place in February 2024. Finally, a survey was carried out to collect feedback, allowing the EDPB to better prepare for the future SPE projects.