Ralf is the Deputy Head of DG Justice and Consumer's Unit for International Data Flows and Protection at the European Commission which covers data flows both for commercial purposes and in the area of law enforcement cooperation. He has been one of the key negotiators of the EU-US Privacy Shield and the mutual adequacy arrangement with Japan. Ralf has also represented the Commission in the negotiations on a modernisation of Council of Europe Convention 108, the only binding international agreement on data protection. Currently, he is leading the negotiations on data protection safeguards for the Cybercrime Convention (“Budapest Convention”). Ralf has also participated in a number of international negotiations on agreements for the exchange of PNR (Passenger Name Records) data and Europol cooperation agreements, among others. He regularly speaks at international conferences and panels on data protection issues. Prior to joining DG Justice, he worked for almost 10 years in the European Commission's Legal Service, among others representing the Commission in front of the European courts in more than 200 cases. He holds an LL.M. and doctoral degree from Yale Law School.