BRUSSELS — July 8, 2016 — BSA │The Software Alliance welcomes the approval of the Privacy Shield agreement by EU Member States. The deal will allow for the continuation of data transfers across the Atlantic, which are crucial to everyone who relies on the internet for commerce, communications, or otherwise.Commenting on the vote, Thomas Boué, BSA Director General, Policy – EMEA, said: “We are pleased with the outcome of the vote, which paves the way for the formal adoption of the Privacy Shield. The agreement will usher in a new era of stability and much-needed legal certainty in transatlantic data flows to the benefit of all sides.”The EU’s College of Commissioners also must approve a finding of ‘adequacy’ for the Privacy Shield privacy protections. That vote is expected on 11 July, the day before EU Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality VÄ›ra Jourová and US Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker plan to meet to mark the agreement’s entry into force. “Our members care deeply about their customers’ privacy. We were pleased to support a number of the legislative reforms in the US that helped pave the way for this agreement – most recently the Judicial Redress Act” added Boué, referring to the recently adopted bill which extends the protections of US privacy legislation to citizens of designated foreign countries.“We look forward to the formal adoption by the Commission and the entry into force of this agreement, which we believe is in the interest of the economies on both sides of the Atlantic and to all industry sectors and citizens who benefit greatly from data-driven efficiencies,” he concluded.