eu travel tech welcomes formal approval of EU-US Privacy Framework

Brussels, 11 July 2023: eu travel tech welcomes yesterday’s formal approval of the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (DPF). The decision safeguards the fundamental rights of EU citizens whose personal data can flow safely from the EU to the US. It also ends a very long period of legal uncertainty for many businesses following the invalidation of the Privacy Shield as a result of the Schrems II ruling of 2020 of the European Court of Justice.

The decision comes after significant discussions to provide a reliable framework that protects the fundamental rights of EU citizens. In December 2022, the European Commission took the crucial step of launching the process to adopt an adequacy decision for the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. On 6 July 2023 the committee composed of representatives of the EU Member States delivered its positive opinion on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework with no dissenting votes. The DPF ensures an adequate level of protection without having to put in place additional data protection safeguards by addressing all the concerns raised by the European Court of Justice.

In particular, eu travel tech supports that the adequacy decision concludes that the United States ensures an adequate level of protection for personal data transferred from the EU to companies participating in the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. As such, the formal approval is in the interest of Europe’s digital economy.