ELECTION OF MEMBERS OF THE SUPERVISORY BODY FOR PERSONAL DATA PROTECTION AS A GUARANTEE OF THEIR INDEPENDENCE - EXAMPLES OF ALBANIA, BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, MONTENEGRO AND NORTH MACEDONIA

Abstract

With the development of communication technologies, it has become clear that it is necessary to create an adequate legal framework in order to protect personal data. One of its indispensable elements is the creation of an independent supervisory body for the protection of personal data. By using comparative legal method, on the example of four neighbouring countries, of which all were members of the ex-communist bloc and are the EU membership candidates, author tried to find out certain common legal solutions within these countries regarding the election of their members seeking to achieve their independence. The author also gives appropriate critical view concerning certain solutions. These countries were chosen because, in the historical and social sense, they went and are going through what Serbia is going through in the process of joining the European Union. It has to be noted that the goals guaranteed and proclaimed by legal norms do not always have to be achieved in practice. However, one must also be aware that a valid legal framework is the first step, without which the proclaimed goals cannot be achieved. This is where the social justification of the scientific study of this topic is reflected.