ISLAMABAD, Sept 10: To meet the stringent requirements prescribed by the European Union (EU) for outsourcing information and data, Pakistan Software Export Board (PSEB) has issued guidelines for adoption of model clauses for transfer of personal data from the EU to third countries and binding corporate rules for international transfers of personal data.

These guidelines were recommended for both Pakistani IT and IT-enabled businesses, especially the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) companies looking to process data and personal information being transferred from anywhere in the EU to Pakistan as well as for businesses with a presence in Pakistan and frequently involved in global transfers of data.

Commenting on the issue managing director PSEB Talib Baloch said, “The board is aware of the stringent legal requirements by the EU regarding outsourcing data for processing to countries outside the EU and the problems Pakistani companies face in getting business from EU.” He said it was also aware of the marked differences between the requirements of the EU and the US in the area of Privacy law and Data Protection.

Keeping in mind, that EU and the US markets are both important for Pakistani IT and IT-enabled trade, the approach to be adopted must not adversely affect the possibilities of Pakistani businesses to export their services to either jurisdiction, he added.Mr Baloch appreciated the patronage and encouragement provided by the international businesses in the US and the EU on becoming the first mover in the region to adopt compatible international best practices in the area of data protection.

He indicated that this was the first step in implementation of the roadmap, which was part of the Data Confidentiality Law and Framework Project, which was underway and included work on legislative efforts to implement international best practices. PSEB, in the meantime, issued guidelines to facilitate the IT industry and to encourage the companies in exploring adoption of the measures in compliance with the requirements laid down by the EU directive on data protection.

It was envisioned that by adopting these measures Pakistani IT and IT- enabled businesses would be able to improve their legal coverage in exporting their services and enter into relationships for outsourcing of personal data from EU to Pakistan.