I spoke on July 2 in Berlin at a conference organized by the German Standards Agency (DIN) on “Data protection in the EU and Germany – Impediment or basis of our digital future.”  SIIA was one of the sponsors of this important event.  DIN put together a terrific program with a good blend of proponents of European data protection approaches and perspectives from industries in the forefront of data-driven innovation.

Differences in transatlantic approaches remain, but they are getting smaller and more manageable.   I focused on the importance of reaching on deal on revising the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework, emphasized the industry-friendly elements of the proposed General Data Protection Regulation, trade, and surveillance reform developments in the United States.  SIIA considers that transatlantic data flow relations are improving.  The final proof of this contention, however, will be if the United States and the European Union can agree on good data flow provisions in the Trade in Services Agreement (TISA) and, ultimately, the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP).

The text of my speech can be found here.

Carl Schonander is Senior Vice President for Global Public Policy.