European Union: EU and Japan adopted declaration on data protection and data flows

On 9 April 2025, the Personal Information Protection Commission (PPC) of Japan and the European Commission formally adopted a declaration on data protection and data flows, reaffirming their ongoing strategic partnership. The declaration, grounded in the 2019 mutual adequacy arrangement, underscores a commitment to enhancing safe data flows, particularly extending the arrangement to include academia, research, and public sectors. This initiative aims to foster responsible data exchange, leveraging shared values of data protection regulations. In addition, both the EU and Japan agreed to collaborate with other nations, promoting international frameworks such as the OECD's principles on government access to personal data. Regular bilateral meetings will continue, with further discussions slated for September in Japan.