European Union: European Parliament adopted position on Proposal for a Directive on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material

On 17 June 2025, the European Parliament adopted its position on the Proposal for a Directive on combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material. The revisions include a number of changes. The position proposes to raise the maximum punishments for several child sexual abuse (CSA) offenses, as well as to abolish limitation periods for such crimes. Furthermore, Parliament’s amendments explicitly criminalise artificial intelligence (AI) designed for CSA crimes, along with an endorsement of specific provisions on online dissemination of CSA material and the livestreaming of CSA. Finally, the draft position includes provisions for third-party organisations to be able to report CSA crimes. The European Parliament will start the negotiations on the final draft with the Council of the European Union on 23 June.