The Commission is also putting forward today a Communication setting out a strategic framework for international transfers of personal data. The aim of the framework is to facilitate commercial exchanges and foster law enforcement cooperation, while ensuring a high level of data protection.

As part of this strategic framework, the Commission will:

• Prioritise discussions on possible adequacy decisions with key trading partners in East and South-East Asia – notably Japan and Korea – as well as countries in Latin America and the European Neighbourhood. An adequacy decision would allow data to flow freely between the EU and a non-EU country, provided that the country has adequate standards of data protection.
• Work with countries interested in adopting strong data protection laws and support them to adopt data protection principles that match EU standards.
• Make full use of other mechanisms provided by the new EU data protection rules – the General Data Protection Regulation and Police Directive – to facilitate exchange of personal data with other third countries.
• Promote data protection standards internationally, both at bilateral and multilateral level.

Věra Jourová, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality said: "The European data protection legislation adopted last year set high data protection standards for the benefit of both EU citizens and companies. Today we propose revised data protection rules for EU institutions, bodies and agencies, many of whom handle personal data on a daily basis. We also set out today our strategy to facilitate international data exchanges in the global digital economy and promote high data protection standards worldwide"

For more information

• Press release
• Questions and Answers
• Factsheet – International Data transfers
• Factsheet - New data protection rules in EU insitutions and bodies
• Regulation on data protection rules applying to European Institutions
• Communication on exchanging and protecting personal data in a globalised world
• Protection of personal data