On July 10, 2023, the European Commission adopted its adequacy decision for the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (Framework). The adequacy decision concludes the long process to open up new means by which companies transfer personal data from the European Economic Area (EEA) to the United States.
The Framework will be administered by the US Department of Commerce, which will process applications for certification and monitor whether participating companies continue to meet the certification requirements. Compliance by US companies will be enforced by the Federal Trade Commission.
The Framework will certainly face legal challenges. But for now, given the recent challenges to the sufficiency of the Standard Contractual Clauses—including the recent decision by the Irish Data Protection Commission against Meta—it is a bit of welcome news.