European Union: Introduced Proposal for Council Decision on the signing of EU-Japan agreement on cross-border data flows

On 1 December 2023, the European Commission introduced a proposal for the Council decision on the signing of the European Union (EU) and Japan agreement on cross-border data flows. The agreement aims to provide legal certainty for data flows between the EU and Japan by abolishing unjustified data localisation measures. The agreement further aims to ensure full compliance of cross-border data flows with the applicable laws on data protection and the digital economy. The Proposal recommends the signing of the amendment for the Agreement between the EU and Japan for an Economic Partnership regarding the free flow of data.