of the public and private sectors, and helping the Dutch economy. At the same time security considerations also play a key role. The government believes that at the present time it is not advisable to enact restrictive statutory measures with regard to the development, availability and use of encryption within the Netherlands. In its official position on this issue, the government stresses that the Netherlands will promote this conclusion and the considerations underlying it in an international context. To guarantee trust in data and privacy protection, the government is committed to international standardisation and legal certainty vis-à-vis the transfer of data. International legal frameworks are necessary when data is exchanged with countries that have less rigorous standards than the EU. International standardisation helps create a level playing field for companies, but we should not let the lowest common denominator be our point of departure. Ultimately, good data protection is in the interests of individuals, the government and the business community. AVT17/BZ122203 15