MEPs discuss Privacy Shield in US

The "Privacy Shield", intended to replace ‘Safe Harbour' agreements for transfers of personal data between the EU and the US, as well as implementation of the newly adopted EU data protection rules and counter terrorism measures are being debated by Members in the European Parliament (MEPs) and their US counterparts during their current visit to Washington and Silicon Valley. The eight MEP strong delegation headed by Civil Liberties Committee Chair Claude Moraes (S&D, UK) met with Members of Congress, US government officials and representatives from civil society in Washington today and yesterday to debate data protection and counter terrorism. Tomorrow they will be in Silicon Valley to meet with academics from Stanford and representative from Facebook, Google and Cisco as well as start-ups and digital rights defenders. "With several key arrangements on data transfers expected to be agreed between the EU and the US in the coming months, this is a critical moment for the largest and most integrated economic relationship in the world", said Claude Moraes ahead of the visit. The European Commission is currently working to finalise the new "Privacy Shield" and MEPs are concerned about judicial redress for EU citizens and the Ombudsperson mechanism foreseen under this arrangement. The agreement is expected to come to the European Parliament for a final yes/no vote before the summer. The implications of the new EU data protection rules adopted by the European Parliament in April will also be covered.