European Union: Signed EU-New Zealand Free Trade Agreement including data protection regulation

On 9 July 2023, the Free Trade Agreement between the European Union (EU) and New Zealand was signed. The Agreement aims to facilitate digital trade between the parties. In particular, the Agreement recognises that the protection of personal data and privacy is a fundamental right and states that the parties can adopt and maintain the data protection regulations considered appropriate by the jurisdiction, including applying privacy requirements for the cross-border transfer of personal data. Furthermore, the parties will be required to make available information on the protection of personal data and privacy that it grants to the users in the digital economy and specify how users can exercise their rights and pursue remedies for data breaches. Finally, the Agreement states that the parties should issue guidelines for the private sector regarding their data protection and privacy obligations. The text will now be transmitted to the European Parliament for consent.