Aid workers face expulsion from Gaza. They hope EU privacy laws can save them. – POLITICO

“If the EU does not take any position and no clear action, frankly, when its own humanitarian partners are forced to violate these laws, then the consequence is that we’re eroding these laws,” said Oxfam’s Bosch.

Aid workers note that the European Commission maintains a so-called “adequacy decision” with Israel — a seal of approval for Israel’s privacy framework that shows the Commission views it as on par with the EU’s GDPR.

“How on earth does Israel fulfill the adequacy requirements, to say that it is a safe country for the EU to transfer data back and forth?” said Fatafta of Access Now.

Regarding the adequacy partnership with Israel, the Commission “closely monitors its application and has tools at its disposal to respond if the level of protection afforded to data transferred from the EU is weakened,” the EU executive said.

Anouar El Anouni, a spokesperson for the EU’s External Action Service, said in an earlier statement mid February that “a number of EU measures” to stop the February requirements were still being considered.

The EU has “actively engaged” with Israel on the issue, he said, and “will continue to monitor the situation, looking into how to facilitate the registration support, and further engage with Israeli authorities.”