Case C-362/14 | Maximillian Schrems v Data Protection Commissioner

Summary:

The Court of Justice of the European Union declared on 6 October 2015 the Safe Harbour agreement between the European Union and the United States to be invalid.

Further information:

The Court considered that where a claim is lodged with national supervisory authorities, they can examine whether the transfer a person's data to a third country complies with the requirement of the EU legislation on the protection of the data, even in those cases which the European Commission adopted decision finding a third country affords an adequate level of protection of personal data and even considered that the ECJ alone has jurisdiction to declare an EU act invalid.

Official

European Commission: First Vice-President Timmermans and Commissioner Jourová 's press conference on Safe Harbour following the Court ruling in case C-362/14 (Schrems) http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_STATEMENT-15-5782_en.htm

US: Department of State: US Mission to the European Union: Political, Security & Global Issues: Data Privacy and Protection: Safe Harbor Protects Privacy and Provides Trust in Data Flows that Underpin https://web.archive.org/web/20161112113927/https://useu.usmission.gov/st-09282015.html

US: Department of State: US Mission to the European Union: Political, Security & Global Issues: Data Privacy and Protection: Statement from U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker on European Court of Justice Safe Harbor Framework Decision, 06.10.15 https://www.commerce.gov/news/press-releases/2015/10/statement-us-secretary-commerce-penny-pritzker-european-court-justice

European Parliament: Press Release, 13.10.15: Mass surveillance: EU citizens' rights still in danger, MEPs say http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20151012IPR97210/

European Commission: DG Justice: Policies: Data protection: Art.29 Data Protection Working Party: Statement of the Article 29 Working Party, 16.10.15 http://ec.europa.eu/justice/data-protection/article-29/press-material/press-release/art29_press_material/2015/20151016_wp29_statement_on_schrems_judgement.pdf

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News

EurActiv, 06.10.15: ECJ strikes down beleaguered Safe Harbour data sharing with US http://www.euractiv.com/sections/digital/ecj-strikes-down-beleaguered-safe-harbour-data-sharing-us-318259

EurActiv, 13.10.15: MEPs fire back at Commission for 'bad lawmaking' on Safe Harbour http://www.euractiv.com/sections/digital/meps-fire-back-commission-bad-lawmaking-safe-harbour-318435

EUObserver, 07.10.15: US firms face possible sanctions over Safe Harbour https://euobserver.com/justice/130588

EUObserver, 06.10.15: Data flows to US will continue despite EU court ruling https://euobserver.com/justice/130578

Politico, 08.10.15: Europe’s top court goes off the rails http://www.politico.eu/article/ecj-off-the-rails-safe-harbor-eu-us-data-protection/

Politico, 06.10.15: Court ‘drops bomb’ on US companies http://www.politico.eu/article/ecj-strikes-down-us-eu-safe-harbor-data-transfer-agreement-facebook-adobe/

BBC News, 06.10.15: Facebook data transfers threatened by Safe Harbour ruling http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-34442618

The Independent, 06.10.15: European court rules 'Safe Harbour' treaty that saw Facebook hand over user data to US is invalid, after challenge by student http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/european-court-rules-safe-harbour-treaty-that-saw-facebook-hand-over-user-data-to-us-is-invalid-a6681291.html

The Conversation, 07.10.15: End of EU-US Safe Harbour privacy deal spells trouble for tech giants http://theconversation.com/end-of-eu-us-safe-harbour-privacy-deal-spells-trouble-for-tech-giants-48721

Deutsche Welle, 06.10.15: Europe's top court declares EU-US data deal invalid http://dw.com/p/1Gj9N

The Local.at, 06.10.15: Facebook dealt blow by Austrian campaigner http://www.thelocal.at/20151006/tech-giants-dealt-blow-by-austrian-campaigner

Security Week, 09.10.15: EU, US Seek 'Quick Solutions' to Data Deal Void http://www.securityweek.com/eu-us-seek-quick-solutions-data-deal-void

EUObserver, 22.10.15: EU data chiefs failed to report privacy complaints to US https://euobserver.com/justice/130792

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Commentary and Analysis

The Independent, 06.10.15: What is Safe Harbour? All you need to know about the data transfer scheme http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/what-is-safe-harbour-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-data-transfer-scheme-a6683701.html

The Guardian, 06.10.15: 'Safe harbour' ruling illustrates growing chasm between US and EU http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/oct/06/safe-harbour-ruling-growing-chasm-us-eu-data-protection

Europe v Facebook: CJEU decision on 'Safe Harbor' / Facebook: Initial reaction, 06.10.15 http://www.europe-v-facebook.org/CJEU_IR.pdf

The Local.at, 06.10.15: Max Schrems: A tech giants' worst nightmare http://www.thelocal.at/20151006/max-schrems-a-tech-giants-worst-nightmare

EU Law Analysis, 07.10.15: The party’s over: EU data protection law after the Schrems Safe Harbour judgment http://eulawanalysis.blogspot.co.uk/2015/10/the-partys-over-eu-data-protection-law.html

UK Constitutional Law Association, 09.10.15: Christina Eckes and Vigjilenca Abazi: Safe Harbour Case: Safeguarding European Fundamental Rights or Creating a Patchwork of National Data Protection? http://ukconstitutionallaw.org/2015/10/09/christina-eckes-and-vigjilenca-abazi-safe-harbour-case-safeguarding-european-fundamental-rights-or-creating-a-patchwork-of-national-data-protection/

Verfassungsblog: Focus: The Schrems Case http://verfassungsblog.de/category/schwerpunkte/the-schrems-case/

Politico, 14.10.15: The ‘safe harbor’ wake-up call http://www.politico.eu/article/the-safe-harbor-wake-up-call/

European Law Blog 15.10.15: Schrems vs. Data Protection Commissioner: a slap on the wrist for the Commission and new powers for data protection authorities http://europeanlawblog.eu/?p=2931

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ESO Records

Opinion of the Advocate General in the case ECJ C-362/14 Maximillian Schrems v Data Protection Commissioner http://www.europeansources.info/record/press-release-opinion-of-the-advocate-general-in-the-case-ecj-c-362-14-maximillian-schrems-v-data-protection-commissioner/

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