A group of international business organisations is lobbying the
European Commission to tone down the bureaucracy involved in data
transfer requirements from the EU to non-member countries.
The Commission's model contracts impose heavy bureaucratic
obligations on businesses, according to the International Chamber
of Commerce, Federation of European Direct Marketing, the Japan
Business Council in Europe and the Confederation of British
Industry. Also backing the call are the International
Communications Round Table, the European Information and
Communications Technology Industry Association and others.
They claim that model contracts, drawn up by the Commission to
dovetail with the EU data protection directive, impose
responsibilities on data importers and exporters which exceed the
required level of data protection.
These groups have submitted new draft contracts to the Commission,
in the hope that it will approve them. Brussels has already said
that adoption of its own standard clauses will not prevent the
authorisation of other models. This, said the International Chamber
of Commerce, has cleared the way for the drafting of these
alternative contracts, which use more flexible mechanisms that
reflect business realities.