Brussels, 02/06/2016 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 2 June in Amsterdam, the European Union and the US signed a transatlantic personal data protection framework agreement (also known as the 'Umbrella Agreement') at the informal meeting between the European Commission, current Dutch Presidency and future Slovak presidency of the Council of the EU and US officials in charge of justice and home affairs.
The framework agreement sets out the parameters, such as those on data retention or possible appeals by the Europeans, for all existing or future instruments on criminal and police investigations between the two parties. The novelty contained in this agreement is based on the fact that Europeans can now demand compensation from US courts in the event of misuse of their personal data. The US President, Barack Obama signed the US Judicial Redress Act in this connection last February (see EUROPE 11499). The European Parliament still has to give its assent to this agreement, despite having expressed doubts about the subject during a hearing in March (see EUROPE 11515).
The Commissioner for Justice, Vera Jourova, said that "This historic agreement will strengthen data protection rights when data is exchanged across the Atlantic between law enforcement authorities and will facilitate cooperation in the fight against crime, including terrorism". European leaders and the US Minister for Justice, Loretta Lynch, as well as the Vice Minister for Home Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, also mentioned the mutual legal instruments of 2010 used to organise legal cooperation between the two parties, as well as the recent legislative developments on money-laundering and terrorism.
In the area of home affairs, the Europeans and Americans raised the question of migration and visa policy developments. The European Commission has called on the EP and Council to give their opinions on the question of visa reciprocity, despite the fact that the US is imposing visa requirements on several member states (see EUROPE 11530). It is expecting a response in this connection on 12 June and is then expected to say whether it will temporarily suspend, in the guise of retaliation measures, the visa waiver regime offered to the US, as included in the 2001 European regulation on visas. (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)