Meritxell Borràs presents the 2026 Codi Tipus Awards 

The director of the Catalan Data Protection Authority (APDCAT), Meritxell Borràs i Solé, today defended the need to protect people's data against the risks of new technologies. In the framework of the award ceremony of the 4th edition of the Codi Tipus awards of La Unió, she added that it is necessary for privacy professionals to play a central role in supervising the application of the rules, to make the protection of data and people in organizations effective.

Borràs pointed out that big data and massive data processing have increased the risks to the rights of people, who have at the same time become aware of the importance of this data. For the director, the concern about digital sovereignty is growing, and demands a strong technological industry at a European level, competitive and that protects people's rights.

In this sense, she celebrated that in Europe data protection is at the foundation of the regulations that have emerged around the European data strategy, such as the AI Act, the Data Regulation or the Data Governance Regulation, the Digital Services and Markets Regulation, and the European Health Data Space.

Furthermore, she considered it necessary for supervisory authorities and privacy professionals to work together and collaborate in the generation of knowledge and training. In this sense, she encouraged those present to continue promoting ‘DPD en xarxa’, the learning and collaboration community of data protection officers of Catalonia, which promotes training and cooperation between professionals who ensure compliance with data protection in organizations.

Award for Innovation in Privacy and Health

The Codi Tipus Awards of La Unió, which are celebrating their 4th edition, were created with the aim of disseminating initiatives, experiences and good practices that show the commitment and innovation of social and healthcare organizations in the field of data protection.

The welcome ceremony for the awards was given by Rosa Fernández, director of La Unió. Afterwards, Juan Fernando Muñoz Montalvo, Secretary General of Digital Health, Information and Innovation of the National Health System, spoke on the panel ‘The impact of the European data protection regulation on the management of healthcare centers’. For their part, Josep Maria Bosch, legal advisor of La Unió; and Caterina Bartrons, manager of the Faura Casas legal support service, led the event.