EU and US sign data protection umbrella agreement

Agreement follows four years of negotiation.

The EU-US Data Protection Umbrella Agreement covers data transfers used to counter crime and terrorism.  The agreement sets up rules to provide safeguards when personal data such as criminal records, names or addresses are transferred to US law enforcement agencies.

The move follows the 2013 revelations that the NSA conducted surveillance on EU citizens and had spied on European heads of state.

The Agreement still needs to be formally approved by the EU parliament, EU member states and the US Congress.

Source: EUObserver.