The Article 29 Working Party has issued a statement about the so-called EU-U.S. Umbrella Agreement, which, while not providing legal basis for any data transfers, sets forth a high-level data protection framework for transatlantic cooperation on criminal law enforcement. The Agreement covers all personal data, including names, addresses, and criminal records, exchanged between the EU and the U.S. for the purposes of prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of criminal offences, including terrorism. The Umbrella Agreement, signed by EU and the U.S. on June 2, 2016, after five years of negotiations, requires the consent of the European Parliament to be ratified.

In its statement, the Working Party cautiously welcomed the conclusion of the Umbrella Agreement. The Working Party expressed hope that the Agreement will complement the existing law enforcement treaties between the U.S. and EU and its Member States, aid the negotiation of future data sharing agreements, and set forth the minimum data protection standard for data transfers between criminal law enforcement in the U.S. and EU.Continue Reading Article 29 Working Party Issues Statement on the EU-U.S. Umbrella Agreement