European Commission's adequacy decision on data protection in Switzerland
EU confirms: Switzerland remains a third country with an adequate level of data protection
The European Commission, in its report dated January 15, 2024, announced that Switzerland continues to be considered a third country with an adequate level of protection for personal data. This means that the transfer of personal data from an EU or EEA member state to Switzerland does not require additional safeguards. The decision of the EU Commission is also crucial for the University of Basel, especially in research activities related to an EU or EEA member state.
The prerequisite for the EU's adequacy decision was the adaptation of federal law (including the DPA) to the European and international data protection reforms of recent years. These adjustments must also be made by the cantons with their individual data protection laws. The revised Information and Data Protection Law of the Canton of Basel-Stadt (IDG BS), primarily applicable to the University of Basel, complies with these requirements and will come into effect soon.
The Research Data Management Network offers support for data protection related questions in research. For more information see https://researchdata.unibas.ch/en/legal-issues/personal-rights/ and https://www.unibas.ch/en/University/Administration-Services/General-Secretariat/Data-Protection.html.