[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 165 (Thursday, August 25, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58473-58474]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-20421]


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DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

International Trade Administration

[Docket No. 160811727-6727-01]
RIN 0625-XC023


U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework Self-Certification Notice

AGENCY: International Trade Administration, Department of Commerce.

ACTION: Notice of discontinuation of the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework.

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SUMMARY: The International Trade Administration (ITA) issues this 
notice regarding the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor Framework (U.S.-EU Safe 
Harbor). As of August 1, 2016, the Department of Commerce no longer 
accepts new submissions of self-certification to the U.S.-EU Safe 
Harbor. As of October 31, 2016, the Department of Commerce will no 
longer accept re-certification submissions to the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor.

DATES: The Department of Commerce stopped accepting new submissions of 
self-certification to the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor on August 1, 2016. As of 
October 31, 2016, the Department of Commerce will no longer accept re-
certification submissions to the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shannon Coe, International Trade 
Administration, 202-482-6013 or [email protected].

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 6, 2015, the European Court of 
Justice issued a judgment \1\ declaring as ``invalid'' the European 
Commission's Decision 2000/520/EC of 26 July 2000 ``on the adequacy of 
the protection provided by the safe harbour privacy principles and 
related frequently asked questions issued by the US Department of 
Commerce.'' According to that decision, the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor 
Framework has not been a valid mechanism to comply with EU data 
protection requirements when transferring personal data from the 
European Union to the United States.
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    \1\ http://curia.europa.eu/juris/document/document.jsf?text=&docid=169195&pageIndex=0&doclang=EN&mode=req&dir=&occ=first∂=1&cid=125031.
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    On July 12, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker joined 
European Union Commissioner V[ecaron]ra Jourov[aacute] to announce \2\ 
the approval of the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework,\3\ replacing the 
U.S.-EU Safe Harbor. The EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework provides 
companies on both sides of the Atlantic with a mechanism to comply with 
European Union data protection requirements when transferring personal 
data from the European Union to the United States in support of 
transatlantic commerce. The Department of Commerce started accepting 
certifications \4\ to the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework \5\ on 
August 1st.
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    \2\ https://www.commerce.gov/news/secretary-speeches/2016/07/remarks-us-secretary-commerce-penny-pritzker-eu-us-privacy-shield.
    \3\ http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/files/annexes_eu-us_privacy_shield_en.pdf.
    \4\ https://www.commerce.gov/sites/commerce.gov/files/media/files/2016/how_to_join_privacy_shield_sc_cmts.pdf.
    \5\ http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/files/annexes_eu-us_privacy_shield_en.pdf.
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    As of August 1, 2016, the Department of Commerce stopped accepting 
new submissions for self-certification to the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor 
Framework; as of October 31, 2016, the Department of Commerce will stop 
accepting re-certification submissions to the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor 
Framework. The Department will maintain the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor List; 
\6\ pursuant to the Safe Harbor Frequently Asked Question on Self-
Certification, the commitment to adhere to the Safe Harbor Principles 
is not time-limited, and a participating organization must continue to 
apply the Safe Harbor Principles to data received under the Safe 
Harbor.
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    \6\ https://safeharbor.export.gov/list.aspx.
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    Please note that the Department of Commerce will continue to 
administer the U.S.-Swiss Safe Harbor Framework.

[[Page 58474]]

    For more information on the EU-U.S. Privacy Shield Framework, 
please visit www.privacyshield.gov.

    Dated: August 17, 2016.
Praveen Dixit,
Acting Assistant Secretary for Industry and Analysis, International 
Trade Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce.
[FR Doc. 2016-20421 Filed 8-24-16; 8:45 am]
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