On April 19, the European Union’s Article 29 Working Party adopted Explanatory Document WP204 on processor Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs). Processor BCRs provide a new avenue for data controllers to transfer EU personal data to processors (such as cloud service providers) located in third countries not considered to ensure an adequate level of protection under the 1995 EU Data Protection Directive. The Article 29 Working Party, noting the success of controller BCRs and citing the “growing interest of industry in such a tool,” provided initial guidance on processor BCRs in June 2012 through Working Document WP195 (which we previously covered here). WP195 presented a “toolbox” that laid out the criteria for approval of processor BCRs, as well as explanatory notes on the content expected in the processor BCRs. As of January 1, 2013, the EU began accepting applications for approval of processor BCRs.
Tag Archives: BCR
Article 29 Working Party Issues BCR Guidelines for Data Processors
The Article 29 Working Party on 6 June 2012 adopted Working Paper WP 195 as a new “toolbox” with recommendations for Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) for data processors.
CNIL Cloud Guidelines Address Controller vs. Processor Issues
The French CNIL’s new guidelines on cloud computing revisit the tricky question of whether a cloud provider is a data processor or a data controller under French data protection law. The CNIL’s guidelines contain seven recommendations for cloud customers, and a list of recommended contractual clauses. The CNIL points out that when the cloud provider is located in a non-European country “local government authorities can send requests to the provider to have access to the data.”
Blogging from IAPP London: BCRs Key to Accountability and Interoperability
Are BCRs the key to global interoperability? Some think so at the IAPP London conference. This post discusses opinions from conference presenters — will BCRs will become more and more popular as corporations implement new accountability measures, or will they fade under the weight of continued bureaucracy?
CNIL Official Provides Insight Into EU Privacy Law Reform
CNIL official comments on BCRs, accountability principle, and applicable law at AmCham event in Paris; provides timetable for EU privacy law reform, as described in this blog entry.