Ireland IP & Technology Law Blog : Dublin Lawyers & Attorneys for Intellectual Property, Communications & Information Technology Law in Ireland, U.S. & England

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The European Commission has approved Israel's status as a country ensuring an "adequate level of protection" under the Data Protection Directive (95/46/EC).

The Data Protection Directive prohibits personal data from being transferred to third countries, outside the EEA, unless the country ensures an adequate level of data protection or certain limited exceptions apply (such as where the data subject has explicitly consented to the transfer or a data transfer agreement incorporating the EC-approved standard contractual clauses is used). 

The countries approved to date by the European Commission as having an adequate level of data protection include: Switzerland, Guernsey, Argentina, Isle of Man, Faroe Islands, Jersey and Andorra. Canada has been approved for certain types of personal data. The ‘Safe Harbour’ arrangement has also been approved, to facilitate transfers of personal data to US organisations which have signed up to the arrangement. Recently, the Commission has also approved the transfer of advance airline passenger data to the US, Canada, and Australia.

European Commission website – list of approved third countries.