As I write this note, the biggest IAPP Europe Data Protection Congress to date wraps up here in Brussels. And yes, we say this every year, but as IAPP Board Member Eduardo Ustaran, CIPP/E, pointed out when opening the Congress yesterday morning, the thing is that it is true every year.

Especially this time: We had over 900 participants, numerous thought-provoking (dare I say controversial?) discussions and some outstanding keynote addresses. From the right to be forgotten, to the future of Safe Harbour, to the state of play of the EU data protection reform, there certainly has been no shortage of issues to touch on, opinions to be expressed and—why not—battles to be fought.

For me individually, it has been a particularly emotional Congress, as I got to say goodbye to the European privacy community in light of my departure from the IAPP, and Europe, in a few months.

Today's edition of the Digest is filled with detailed reports of the keynotes and breakout sessions, so if you have missed any or couldn't attend the Congress, do read on. From my point of view, I think I am taking back the message that 2014 is not going to be as decisive a year as some optimistic commentators had initially predicted, at least as regards the adoption of the EU data protection package. Luca De Matteis did state "with a certain degree of confidence" that the Italian Presidency might have found a compromise solution to some of the points that have slowed down the work of the Council so far, such as the one-stop-shop mechanism. But for the moment, those issues remain open.

Data protection reform apart, the degree of sophistication that the privacy profession has reached in Europe was the real protagonist of this year's Congress, and that is certainly worth celebrating.