The EU Commission formally recognized the United Kingdom as an adequate jurisdiction for cross-border transfers of data governed by the GDPR. The UK now joins about a dozen other countries already recognized under an EU Commission adequacy decision, including Israel, Canada, New Zealand, Japan, and Switzerland.

The adequacy recognition allows for a more seamless flow of personal data from the EU to the adequate country, obviating the need for the transferring parties to sign the Standard Contractual Clauses to legalize the transfer. The recognition of the UK as adequate will expire in four years, at which point the EU Commission can determine whether it renews the recognition.

Cross-border transfers for UK immigration control were excluded from the scope of the adequacy decision, to reflect a recent judgment of the England and Wales Court of Appeal regarding the validity and interpretation of certain restrictions of data protection rights in this area.

CLICK HERE to read the EU Commission’s GDPR adequacy decision for the UK.