Brussels, 31/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - "Committee 31", composed of representatives of Member States, approved the arrangement known as "safe harbour", established on 15 March between the United States and Europe, on the protection of personal data. At the close of the meeting, Jonathan Todd, the spokesman for Commissioner Frits Bolkestein, declared that "all Member States present stated they were in favour of the text, to which minor changes have been made" (Luxembourg was absent from the meeting for technical reasons). The Committee was established under Article 31 of the 1998 Community directive on data protection. Its members were regularly consulted during negotiations conducted by the Commission with the Americans. These negotiations, which began before the directive comes into force, had the twofold aim of ensuring a high level of data protection and of safeguarding the free transfer of data, mainly by Internet, between Europe and the United States. They established a link between the European legislative approach and the largely self-regulatory approach of the Americans. The arrangement, provisionally approved by the Commission on 29 March, provides for the US Trade Minister to draw up a list of American companies which adhere to a series of data protection rules and the criteria of respect judged by the Commission as giving "appropriate" protection. These companies must publicly undertake to respect these principles, under the control of the US authorities, in compliance with Article 5 of the US Federal Trade Commission Act. The Commission has still to submit the text to the Parliament. It considers that its decision could be finalised early July.