Cooperative Dialogue Held With The European Commission’s Directorate-General for Justice etc.

Secretary General Mari Sonoda of the Personal Information Protection Commission (PPC) on Jan 18 2017 visited EC Director General for Justice and Consumers Tiina Astola and European Data Protection Supervisor Giovanni Buttarelli to hold a cooperative dialogue etc. A summary of the cooperative dialogue etc. held with each visited interlocutor is as follows.

(Tiina Astola, Director General for Justice and Consumers)

Director General Tiina Astola referred to the Communication on “Exchanging and Protecting Personal Data in a Globalised World”, recently adopted by the Commission. In this Communication, the Commission expressed its intention to actively engage with Japan in 2017 to facilitate data flows while ensuring a high level of protection, including by exploring the possibility to adopt an adequacy decision. The Director General also expounded prospective views etc. on the EU General Data Protection Regulation.

The Secretary General explained the PPC’s recent operational results and the completed issuance of cabinet order, commission rules, etc. toward the full enforcement of the Amended Act on the Protection of Personal Information (the “Amended APPI”).

In order to put smoothly forward cross-border transfer of personal data between Japan and the EU, it has been agreed that bilateral dialogues which have been held so far between the PPC and the Directorate-General for Justice and Consumers will be continuously engaged in from now and forward so as to deepen discussion on issues of mutual interest, and that a next such round of dialogue will be arranged soon.

(Giovanni Buttarelli, European Data Protection Supervisor)

After the PPC’s operational results and the issuance of cabinet order, commission rules etc. toward the full enforcement of the Amended APPI have been explained, discussions were further going on with such issues as Japan’s protection system regarding international personal data transfer.

Discussions also covered how the supervisory authorities over personal data protection could promote their mutual cooperation on enforcement issues, and both parties agreed on keeping bilateral cooperation from now and forward.

The Secretary General further visited the EC First Vice-President Frans Timmermans’ team and Member of the European Parliament Jan Philipp Albrecht on 19 and 20 Jan, respectively, to have an exchange of views.