European Union: Council reached agreement on Proposal for a Regulation laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse

On 26 November 2025, the Council of the European Union adopted its position on the Proposal for a Regulation laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse. The Regulation applies to online service providers and search engines, introducing obligations to assess risks of misuse, implement mitigating measures, and classify services as high, medium, or low risk. Under the Council’s general approach, national authorities may order the removal or blocking of material or the delisting of search results. Providers in the high-risk category may also be required to support the development of technologies that address identified risks. Online companies must assist victims seeking the removal or disabling of access to material depicting them. Regarding the scanning of services to detect child sexual abuse, the Council proposes making permanent the current derogation from the ePrivacy Directive, allowing providers to detect such material on a voluntary basis. The Regulation would establish the EU Centre on Child Sexual Abuse to process information from providers, maintain databases of reports and indicators, support national authorities in assessing risks, and facilitate information sharing with Europol and national authorities. Following the adoption of the general approach, the Council will start the negotiations with the European Parliament.