Data Protection Authority
EDPB adopts opinions on European Patent Organisation and extension of adequacy decisions for the UK
6th May 2025
During its latest plenary, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) adopted an opinion on the European Commission’s draft adequacy decision under the GDPR concerning the European Patent Organisation (EPO). If the decision is adopted, it will be the first one that covers an international organisation, not a state or region.
An adequacy decision is a key-mechanism in EU data protection legislation which allows the European Commission to determine whether a third country or an international organisation offers an adequate level of data protection. The effect of such a decision is that personal data can flow freely from Europe to that third country or international organisation.
The Council also adopted an opinion on the Commission's proposal for a six-month extension of the UK's adequacy decision under the GDPR and the Law Enforcement Directive (LED), as the current decisions expire on 27 June 2025. The extension is described as technical and temporary due to the proposed legislative changes in the UK. The Council stresses that the extension will not be longer than necessary and that the Commission will closely monitor developments in the UK in the meantime.
Finally, the EDPB agreed to grant the Data Protection Authority of Bosnia and Herzegovina observer status in the Council's activities, in accordance with its rules.