EPP Group urges support for last chance to avoid leaving children unprotected online

Later today, MEPs will face a simple choice: protect children or allow a legal loophole benefiting online sexual predators. Backing the EPP Group’s proposal is the only way to ensure continuity of protection for children beyond 3 April.

The EPP Group has tabled a single technical amendment, already endorsed by Member States, to extend the existing rules. Any additional amendments would kill the deal and strip away the tools used to detect and report child sexual abuse material.

"We have done everything to prevent this gap. The protection of children online should not be turned into an ideological battle. Fundamental rights and protection of children can and must be reconciled," said Javier Zarzalejos MEP, EPP Group negotiator on the file.

After negotiations have failed, the EU is now just days away from losing its ability to effectively fight online child abuse. After 3 April, internet platforms will no longer be allowed to identify and report this criminal content.

"Protecting children is not optional," said Lena Düpont MEP, EPP Group spokeswoman on Legal and Home Affairs. "We call on the S&D Group to stop hiding behind excuses and finally take responsibility. We cannot afford a safe haven for child abusers online. Every delay leaves children exposed and offenders unchallenged."

The EPP Group stresses that what is illegal offline must also be illegal online. 

Reports of online child sexual abuse have surged from 1 million in 2010 to over 20 million in 2024, with online grooming increasing twelvefold in just three years.

Extending the current rules is not a final solution, but it is an essential bridge to ensure uninterrupted protection for children.