Part 2: General processing Chapter 2: The GDPR Section 18: Transfers of personal data to third countries
This section relates to transfers of personal data to third countries (countries or territories that are not Member States) and international organisations (as defined in Article 4 of the GDPR) under Article 49 of the GDPR.
	Chapter V of the GDPR concerns transfers of personal data to third countries and international organisations. Article 45 permits such "international transfers" where the Commission has determined that the relevant third country or international organisation ensures an adequate level of protection (an "adequacy decision"). In addition, Article 46 permits international transfers subject to appropriate safeguards and Article 49(1) sets out other limited bases for transferring personal data to third countries or international organisations where there is neither a relevant adequacy decision nor appropriate safeguards in place. For example, Article 49(1)(d) permits transfers necessary for important reasons of public interest.
	Article 49(4) enables Member States to create domestic law to specify important reasons of public interest, for the purposes of Article 49(1)(d). Article 49(5) also enables Member States to create domestic law to put restrictions on international transfers, for important reasons of public interest and where there is no adequacy decision in place. This section provides regulation-making powers for these circumstances.
	Subsection (1) deals with the first circumstance and is similar to the order-making powers previously provided under paragraph 4 of Schedule 4 to the 1998 Act. It allows the Secretary of State to specify through regulations circumstances in which international transfers of personal data are or are not taken to be necessary for important reasons of public interest.
	Subsection (2) deals with the second circumstance. It allows the Secretary of State to specify through regulations limitations on data transfers to a third country or international organisation, in the absence of an adequacy decision and when such limitations are for important reasons of public interest.
	Subsection (3) provides that regulations made under this section are subject to the affirmative resolution procedure, save for where the Secretary of State has made an urgency statement in respect of them, in which case the "made affirmative" resolution procedure (rather than the affirmative resolution procedure) will apply.
	Subsection (4) explains that any urgency statement must set out the reasons why the Secretary of State considers it necessary for certain regulations to come into force without delay.