Vice-President Ansip and Commissioner Jourová discuss new Data Protection Rules with businesses

Vice-President Ansip and Commissioner Jourová discussed today the implementation of the new Data Protection Regulation together with business associations. Adopted in April this year, the new regulation will enter into force in May 2018 and replace national legislation substituting the current Data Protection Directive. In order to facilitate its implementation, the Commission is regularly consulting Member States to ensure their national laws are adapted and repealed where necessary. Regular meetings are also held with all stakeholders involved, such as businesses and civil society, to discuss the application of the new Data Protection rules. At the same time, data protection authorities (Article 29 Working Party) have started issuing guidelines to ensure the consistent application of key principles of the new regulation across the European Union. The regulation is a modernisation of the EU data protection rules and is a crucial building block of the Digital Single Market, allowing European citizens and business to fully benefit from the digital economy. The EU-U.S. Privacy Shield will also be discussed. This new data exchange framework entered into effect on 1 August and more than 1,100 US companies have signed up to it (another 700 applications are being processed). The Privacy Shield’s first annual review will take place next summer.