Commissioner Jourová met US Commerce Secretary Pritzker to discuss stronger privacy safeguards for European consumers

Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, Vera Jourová, received US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker today, to take stock of the review of the ‘Safe Harbour arrangement’ for transfer of personal data for commercial purposes. Commissioner Jourová welcomed the progress made to strengthen protections for Europeans whose personal data is transferred to US companies, through stronger enforcement of Safe Harbour by the Department of Commerce, more transparency for consumers, easier and cheaper redress possibilities, and clearer rules on onward transfers. Commissioner Jourová aims for a finalisation of discussions in the coming weeks. The Commissioner said: “My aim is to ensure that European consumers’ personal data is effectively protected in practice. A strengthened Safe Harbour will restore trust in EU-US data flows.” More information on the 13 recommendations to improve the functioning of the Safe Harbour is available here