WeProtect Global Alliance welcomes new EU criminal law to better protect children
25 June 2026
Children’s safety has won vital new ground as EU policymakers reached agreement on new EU-wide criminal law to tackle child sexual abuse and exploitation. At a time when child abuse online is increasing at an alarming rate, WeProtect Global Alliance welcomes agreement which follows over two years of complex negotiations but urges leaders to be bold as they negotiate the upcoming EU Child Sexual Abuse Regulation to ensure children are protected in the digital world.
The updated EU Directive will better reflect how abuse happens in today’s digital world. It expands the types of offences, including definitions of non-consensual sexual acts, AI-generated child sexual abuse material, financial sexual extortion of children, and livestreamed abuse. The rules strengthen protection for children. They improve the ability of authorities to investigate and prosecute these crimes, and they extend current reporting limitations to give victims more time to seek justice. This recognises that many victims may not be ready to report abuse until years later.
The law also introduces preventive measures. These include mandatory criminal record checks for people working with children, reporting duties for certain professionals, and stronger safeguarding, education, and awareness initiatives.
In addition, it makes it easier for victims to access to support services, healthcare, compensation, and ensures child-friendly ways to report abuse, while requiring better coordination, data collection, and cooperation among national authorities to improve the effectiveness of efforts to combat child sexual abuse across the EU.
Iain Drennan, Executive Director of WeProtect Global Alliance, said: “Reaching political agreement on the revised EU Directive is an important step in better protecting children across Europe. It strengthens criminal law by making AI-generated child sexual abuse material illegal, creates the first definition of non-consensual sexual acts across Europe, and makes it easier for victims to seek justice, especially as abuse continues to evolve with new technology. However, more needs to be done. We must keep pushing further to strengthen standards across the EU, move quickly to finalise the EU Child Sexual Abuse Regulation, and place stronger focus on preventing the abuse of children online across Europe.”
The final technical details of the law will now be worked out, and once adopted in autumn, will set a minimum standard across the EU for preventing abuse, holding offenders accountable, and supporting victims. EU countries will then have three years to ensure their criminal law is in line with the revised Directive.
WeProtect Global Alliance encourages EU countries to go even further by strengthening their national laws, breaking down barriers to reporting harm, and investing more in prevention and support services.