The adoption of the mutual adequacy decisions by the European Commission and Brazil follows an opinion by the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) and the EU member states’ greenlight in the so-called comitology procedure.

The decisions create what the European Commission calls the “largest area of free and safe data flows in the world”, which it says will benefit a combined 670 million consumers across the EU and Brazil.

The Commission will review the functioning of its adequacy decision after a period of four years.

Henna Virkkunen, executive vice-president for tech sovereignty, security and democracy, said: “Today, the EU is further deepening its ties with one of its most strategic and like-minded partners.

“Our mutual adequacy decision is a key step in further integrating our economies. It will create new opportunities for our businesses and advance innovation, to the benefit of millions of consumers across Europe and South America.”

Michael McGrath, the European commissioner for democracy, justice, the rule of law and consumer protection, said: “Brazil has built a strong privacy and data protection framework that safeguards fundamental rights.

“Together, we have created the world’s largest area for safe, cross-border data flows, covering over 670 million people.

“This agreement boosts digital trade, supports businesses of all sizes, and sets a global benchmark showing that strong privacy protections can coexist with innovation and growth.

“It sends a clear message: fundamental rights don’t stop at borders, giving consumers confidence that their data is respected and protected.”