Data protection: Channel Islands delegation holds talks with European Commission

On 9 March 2018 senior officials from the Guernsey and Jersey governments held a meeting in Brussels with the European Commission’s Directorate General for Justice and Consumers (DG JUST) to discuss data protection issues.

Guernsey and Jersey are among the small group of non-EU countries that are the subject of an “adequacy decision” by the Commission. This is an official certification that Guernsey and Jersey meet essentially equivalent data protection standards to those applying in the EU. On 25 May 2018 a new data protection regime will enter into force in the EU – the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Law Enforcement Directive (LED) . The latter applies a similar regime to the GDPR to exchanges of personal data between law enforcement authorities. Guernsey and Jersey have adopted domestic legislation which will implement into domestic law by May 2018 essentially equivalent provisions to the GDPR and the LED.

The meeting was an opportunity for the Channel Islands delegation to bring the Commission up to date with legislative, regulatory and policy developments since the previous meeting with DG JUST on 28 February 2017 and to discuss points arising. The Commission has made clear that it remains committed to ensuring the continuity of the existing adequacy decision for Guernsey and Jersey and to further strengthen relations in the area of data privacy and data protection.  This  is an objective which Guernsey and Jersey fully share.

Guernsey – Data Protection (Bailiwick of Guernsey) Law 2017

Guernsey – Data Protection (Commencement Amendment and Transitional) Ordinance

Guernsey – Data Protection (Law Enforcement and Related Matters) Ordinance 2018

Jersey – Data Protection (Jersey) Law 2018

Jersey – Data Protection Authority (Jersey) Law 2018