January 16, 2017

The Commission says that the proposed Communication sets out a strategic approach to the issue of international personal data transfers, which will facilitate commercial exchanges and promote better law enforcement cooperation, while ensuring a high level of data protection.

The Commission says that it will “engage proactively” in discussions on reaching “adequacy decisions” (allowing for the free flow of personal data to countries with “essentially equivalent” data protection rules to those in the EU) with key trading partners in East and South-East Asia, starting with Japan and Korea in 2017, but also with interested countries of Latin America and the European Neighbourhood.

In addition, the Commission says that it will make full use of other alternative mechanisms provided by the new EU data protection rules to facilitate the exchange of personal data with other third countries with which adequacy decisions cannot be reached.

The Communication also reiterates that the Commission will continue to promote the development of high data protection standards internationally, both at bilateral and multilateral levels.

The Commission is calling on the European Parliament and the Council to work swiftly and to ensure the smooth adoption of the Communication’s proposals by 25 May 2018, when the GDPR will enter into application. The intention is to provide citizens and businesses with a fully-fledged and complete legal framework for privacy and data protection in Europe by this date. To read the Commission’s press release and for a link to the Communication, click here.