MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The European Commission adopted the agreement on the exchange of commercial data between the European Union and the United States known as EU-US Privacy Shield on Tuesday.
"This brings to a close more than 2.5 years of work since the Commission first raised concerns about the old Safe Harbor arrangement, and whether it was really safe enough to protect the fundamental rights of Europeans," Justice and Consumers Commissioner Vera Jourova said at a briefing in Brussels.
The adoption comes less than a week after member states of the European Union approved the new exchange agreement, which replaces the Safe Harbor treaty criticized for ostensibly consenting to US online surveillance on EU citizens.
US Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker said certifications for US companies to transition toward the EU-US Privacy Shield would begin August 1.
