This article is also available in:
Deutsch: EU-US: Gemeinsame Grundsätzen zu Datenschutz und Datenverbreitung
After three years of working together, the Departments of Homeland Security, Justice and State and the experts from the EU Presidency and Commission have recently issued a statement establishing a set of common principles to protect the personal data exchanged for law enforcement and security purposes.
Based on these common principles, a binding international EU-U.S. agreement will be negotiated based on these common principles "to facilitate further cooperation while ensuring the availability of full protection for our citizens," as expressed by the Department of Homeland Security.
U.S. and EU Agree on Data Protection Principles (3.11.2009)
http://www.dhs.gov/journal/leadership/2009/11/us-and-eu-agree-on-data-...