What is Binding Corporate Rules (BCR)?
Binding Corporate Rules are internal codes of conduct approved by data protection authorities that permit multinational organizations to transfer personal data within their corporate group across international borders.
Binding Corporate Rules (BCRs) are legally binding internal data protection policies that multinational companies adopt to legitimize intra-group transfers of personal data from the EEA to affiliates in countries without an adequacy decision. Defined under Article 47 of the GDPR, BCRs must be approved by the competent supervisory authority through a cooperation procedure among concerned authorities.
BCRs must contain all mandatory elements specified in Article 47(2), including the structure and contact details of the group, the data transfers covered, their legally binding nature both internally and externally, the application of general data protection principles, data subject rights and means to exercise them, acceptance of liability by the controller or processor established in the EU, and how BCR information is provided to data subjects. There are separate BCRs for controllers (BCR-C) and processors (BCR-P).
While the approval process is lengthy and resource-intensive, BCRs provide the most comprehensive framework for ongoing intra-group data transfers. ComplyIQ supports BCR implementation by tracking compliance with BCR commitments across all entities in the corporate group and maintaining the documentation required for periodic reviews by supervisory authorities.
Relevant Regulations
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Related Terms
Standard Contractual Clauses (SCC)
Standard Contractual Clauses are pre-approved model contractual clauses adopted by the European Commission to facilitate lawful international transfers of personal data to countries outside the EEA.
Cross-Border Data Transfer
Cross-border data transfer refers to the movement of personal data from one country or jurisdiction to another, which is regulated by data protection laws that impose specific requirements to ensure adequate protection.
Adequacy Decision
An adequacy decision is a determination by the European Commission that a third country or international organization provides an adequate level of data protection, allowing free transfer of personal data from the EU without additional safeguards.