Renew Europe MEP Raquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle has asked the European Commission to consider suspending the EU's adequacy decision for data transfers to Israel, citing new Israeli guidelines that require humanitarian NGOs operating in the Palestinian Territories to hand over significant personal data to Israeli authorities. In a parliamentary question dated 27 July 2026, the MEP argues that these requirements may conflict with the GDPR's principles of proportionality, necessity, and transparency, and could undermine the legal basis for data processing by EU-based NGOs. She also questions whether such data flows fall within the scope of the adequacy decision and, if so, whether the guidelines justify its suspension until Israel fully complies with EU data protection standards.
The question, addressed to the Commission, is a formal written parliamentary question under the EU's oversight procedures. It follows Israel's 2025 adoption of the Guidelines for the Registration of Organizations and Issuance of Recommendations for Their Foreign Employees, which impose registration and data disclosure obligations on NGOs providing humanitarian aid in the Palestinian Territories. The MEP's inquiry is grounded in the Commission's ongoing duty under Article 45 of the GDPR to monitor developments that could affect the functioning of adequacy decisions, a responsibility that has been central to recent EU data protection enforcement.
the Commission must acknowledge the potential GDPR violations, assess whether the guidelines undermine the adequacy decision, and, if so, suspend it until Israel complies. This reflects a push for stricter enforcement of EU data protection standards in external relations, potentially affecting humanitarian NGOs, Israeli authorities, and EU data subjects. The Commission is expected to reply within six weeks, and its response will signal whether it views the Israeli guidelines as a material threat to the adequacy framework or as a matter for bilateral dialogue rather than suspension.