Statement by Commissioner Jourová on the European Parliament consent vote on the conclusion of the EU-U.S. data protection “Umbrella Agreement”

On the occasion of the final vote by the European Parliament on the conclusion of theEU-U.S. Data Protection “Umbrella Agreement”, Justice Commissioner, Věra Jourová said: “I welcome the strong positive vote of the European Parliament (…). This historic agreement introduces high data protection standards for transatlantic law enforcement cooperation. More than ever, the EU and the U.S. need to cooperate to fight crime and terrorism and protect citizens from common security challenges. At the same time this cooperation needs to safeguard the European fundamental right to privacy. The Umbrella Agreement will ensure that the exchanges of personal data, such as criminal records, names or addresses, are governed by strong data protection rules. After years of negotiations, we concluded a unique agreement that guarantees a high level of protection to EU citizens’ personal data transferred to judicial and police authorities across the Atlantic. A major novelty is that the U.S. will grant all EU citizens the right to enforce their data protection rights in U.S. courts, a right that U.S. citizens already enjoy in Europe.” The Umbrella Agreement was signed by EU-U.S. Justice Ministers on 2 June 2016. It will enter into force once each party has completed the necessary internal procedures. On the European Union side, this is the adoption of a decision by the Council on the conclusion of the agreement, following the European Parliament’s consent vote.