EU Commission Publishes Communications on Data Transfers and the EU Data Economy
2 Minute Read
Categories: European Union, International
On January 10, 2017, the European Commission published a communication addressed to the European Parliament and European Council on Exchanging and Protecting Personal Data in a Globalized World (the “Communication”). The Communication aims to facilitate commercial data flows and foster law enforcement cooperation. In the Communication, the European Commission states that it will:
- Prioritize discussions on possible adequacy decisions with “key trading partners,” starting with (1) Japan and South Korea in 2017, (2) India, depending on the progress towards the modernization of its data protection laws, and (3) countries in Latin America (Mercosur) and the European Neighborhood.
- Conduct periodic reviews of existing adequacy decisions at least every four years because adequacy decisions are “living” documents. This includes reviewing the implementation of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield through its annual joint review mechanism.
- Use multilateral fora such as the United Nations, G20 and APEC to foster international cooperation on data protection matters and to develop international enforcement mechanisms. In addition, the European Commission will promote the negotiation of framework agreements with its law enforcement partners, along the lines of the model provided by the “Umbrella Agreement.”
Tags: Adequacy, APEC, Cross-Border Data Flow, EU Member States, European Commission, Japan, Personal Data, Privacy Shield, South Korea