EUROPEAN UNION DATA PROTECTION DIRECTIVE
THE EUROPEAN UNION DATA PROTECTION DIRECTIVE –
WHAT IS IT AND WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?
The Safe Harbor — approved by the EU in July of 2000 — is an important way for
U.S. companies to
avoid experiencing interruptions in their business dealings with
the EU or facing prosecution by European authorities under European privacy laws.
Having a proper Safe Harbor policy will assure that EU organizations know that your
company provides “adequate” privacy protection, as defined by the Directive.
The EU Directive on data protection sets down rules on how personal data* can be
used, disclosed, transferred and generally processed within Europe. It has been
implemented into the national laws of each European member state.
The Directive regulates not only the processing of personal data, but also:
- Provides protection for the rights of individuals, in particular their right to privacy;
and - Prohibits the transfer of personal data to countries outside the European
Economic Area
(which consists of the 25 EU member states, plus Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway) unless an adequate level of protection for the privacy rights of individuals can be assured.
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