European Union: European Data Protection Board inquiry into international data protection enforcement cooperation completed

On 2 February 2026, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) published the Report on International Data Protection Enforcement Cooperation under the Support Pool of Experts programme. The report sets out findings on cross-border cooperation between European Economic Area (EEA) data protection authorities (DPAs) and DPAs in third countries, with a focus on jurisdictions that hold a European Union (EU) adequacy decision. It concludes that international enforcement cooperation is less developed than GDPR cooperation within the EEA, often limited to informal exchanges rather than operational joint enforcement in practice. It identifies several barriers, including legal constraints on sharing confidential information and case materials, limited options for providing investigative assistance, the absence of effective mechanisms for enforcing DPA decisions in third countries, and limited capacity within the relevant authorities. In order to improve cooperation, the EDPB suggests practical and legal measures, such as establishing a secure channel for the structured sharing of information, clarifying the scope of professional secrecy and confidentiality obligations, and implementing Article 50 of the GDPR through guidance and standard tools. The report also encourages DPAs to draw on more mature cooperation models in other regulatory fields, such as competition and consumer protection, in order to develop clearer procedures and more routine forms of coordinated enforcement.