Charities that transfer data from the EEA to the United Kingdom – especially those in data-rich sectors such as healthcare – may have breathed a small sigh of relief when the EU Commission published draft adequacy decisions for transfers of personal data to the UK, under both the GDPR and the Law Enforcement Directive, earlier this year.
Transfers of personal data from the EEA to the UK are currently protected on a transitional basis only until 30 June 2021 under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement agreed at the end of last December as a result of the UK’s departure from the EU.
Until the publication of the draft adequacy decisions by the Commission, the situation after the end of June had seemed uncertain. The adequacy decisions, once finalised, however, would allow the flow of personal data between EU countries and the UK to continue without the need for additional measures and arrangements.
On 21 May, however, the European Parliament voted for a review of the draft decisions. Finalising the adequacy decisions before the end of the current transitional period at the end of June now looks challenging.
For more on the current situation, and what might happen next, read Paul Knight’s article.
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