EU Commission Launches Review of UK’s Adequacy Decision
The European Commission has initiated the formal process to adopt new adequacy decisions that will allow the continued free flow of personal data between the European Economic Area (EEA) and the United Kingdom. This step follows the Commission’s assessment of the UK’s recently enacted Data Use and Access Act. The evaluation concluded that the UK’s legal framework still offers data protection safeguards that are essentially equivalent to those established by the European Union.
Henna Virkkunen, Executive Vice-President for Tech Sovereignty, Security, and Democracy, emphasized that data protection remains a fundamental EU value and highlighted the importance of the UK as a key partner. She noted that maintaining high standards of data protection is crucial to ensuring trust in digital cooperation and reaffirmed the EU’s commitment to privacy and ongoing collaboration with the UK.
Michael McGrath, Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, the Rule of Law, and Consumer Protection, stressed the importance of uninterrupted personal data flows between the EU and the UK for businesses, public authorities, and individuals. He added that this process supports commerce, research, and effective cooperation in criminal justice and law enforcement across both sides of the Channel.
The draft adequacy decisions will now be sent to the European Data Protection Board for its opinion. Following this, the Commission will seek approval from a committee of EU Member State representatives. The European Parliament also holds a right to scrutinize these decisions. Earlier, in June 2025, the Commission extended the 2021 adequacy decisions for six months, allowing time to assess the UK’s new data protection rules introduced by the Data Use and Access Act.
