U.S. "GRATIFIED" AT EU DECISION TO DISCUSS PRIVACY ACCORD
USIA
26 October 1998
U.S. "GRATIFIED" AT EU DECISION TO DISCUSS PRIVACY ACCORD
(Commerce Department's Aaron believes agreement possible) (280)
By Rick Marshall
USIA Staff Writer
Washington -- "The United States is gratified" that the European Union
has decided to pursue a negotiated solution with the United States on
data protection and privacy, Under Secretary of Commerce David Aaron
said October 26.
The European Commission's Directive on Data Protection went into force
yesterday, October 25, raising the possibility that EU members might
disrupt data flows between the United States and Europe. They did not.
"We've avoided the worst case today," Aaron said. "We're working very
cooperatively" with the Europeans. "There's an enormous amount at
stake here."
In a press release issued today, Commerce Secretary William Daley said
that the United States is "encouraged that the EU member states
recognize the importance of avoiding disruption of data flows while we
are trying to solve this problem."
Aaron told reporters that he hoped to wrap up the negotiations with
the Europeans on data protection by December. Despite the different
approaches the two have taken toward protecting sensitive data, there
is "an enormous amount of overlap" between U.S. and European views, he
added.
The most promising approach, Aaron said, appears to be creating "safe
harbors" for U.S. businesses. This entails establishing voluntary
guidelines on data protection in the United States that the Europeans
would recognize. Companies that adhere to these guidelines would thus
be protected from most lawsuits, he suggested.
The United States and the EU have discussed the matter already, Aaron
said. Today's decision means that two are now ready to proceed to the
next stage. The Europeans "think we can reach agreement soon," he
said.