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eBriefing

Plenary Session Briefing 2025 June 16-19 Session

State of play and follow-up two years after the PEGA recommendations and the illegal use of spyware

Discussion: MONDAY, 16 June 2025, at 17h30 -> Watch the recording

Council and Commission statements

Based on a year-long investigation into the use of Pegasus and equivalent surveillance spyware, MEPs argue that the illicit use of spyware has put “democracy itself at stake” and call for credible investigations, legislative changes and better enforcement of existing rules to tackle abuse. The Resolution was adopted in 2023, with 411 votes in favour, 97 against, and 37 abstentions.


Expected announcement
Expect the Commission’s statement on 16 June to sketch elements underlined by the Parliament Resolution, followed by the Council signposting its conclusions:

1. Publication date for an “EU Anti‑Spyware Package”
The Commission will confirm that a legislative + non‑legislative package (“Anti‑Spyware Initiative”) will be tabled on Q4 2025.

It will consist of:

• a Regulation on the use of intrusive surveillance tools (minimum safeguards, EU‑wide warrants, ex‑post notification of targets);
• a Vendor Transparency Act (licensing register, security‑by‑design, breach‑reporting within 24 h);
• updated Guidelines on the ‘national security’ derogation to close PEGA‑identified loopholes.
-> This would answer PEGA committee recommendations 1‑6 (EU‑level rules, notification, vendor register) and 24‑26 (Commission guidance on national‑security misuse).


2. Enforcement: new infringement procedures
The Commission could announce GDPR/ePrivacy infringement letters to three Member States that still deny victims access to judicial remedies for spyware abuse (widely expected: HU, PL, EL).
-> Implements PEGA recs 10‑12 on enforcement of existing EU law. Parliament and NGOs have repeatedly urged enforcement, noting Commission inertia.


3. Export‑control tightening
The Commission will present a delegated act amending the Dual‑Use Regulation to create a “spyware list item” aligned with the US Executive Order 14093.
-> Addresses PEGA rec 29 (“strict EU export rules for spyware”).Civil‑society call for export–control reform.


4. EU Forensic & Incident‑Response Hub
Launch (Q1 2026) of a Hub at ENISA to provide technical support to national CERTs investigating Pegasus‑type infections; €25 million earmarked from the Digital Europe Programme.
-> Meets PEGA rec 20 (EU‑level technical assistance).Mentioned in a February 2024 Council “action plan” paper.


5. Council conclusions (“toolbox”)The Justice & Home Affairs Council (July 2025) will adopt conclusions endorsing minimum legal safeguards and a voluntary “EU Spyware Toolbox” (common risk‑assessment checklist before procurement; peer review every two years).
-> This mirrors the post‑Pegasus “5G Toolbox” model and shows Member‑State buy‑in without waiting for full legislation.Draft conclusions circulated in Coreper in April 2025 (press leaks).

6. Commitment to close remaining PEGA gaps
Both Institutions will pledge to integrate spyware safeguards into:
• the Media Freedom Act (final adoption expected October 2025);
• the e‑Evidence Regulation implementation guidelines;
• the upcoming AI Act secondary legislation (biometric categorisation & voice‑scraping).Tackles PEGA recs 16‑18 (journalists), 22 (AI‑enabled surveillance) and 27 (judicial cooperation).
->Media Freedom Act already contains a partial ban on spyware vs. journalists, pending Council‑Parliament deal .

7. Follow‑up reporting mechanism
The Commission will commit to include a “Spyware chapter” in the annual EU Rule‑of‑Law Report starting 2026, with Member‑State scorecards.
-> Responds to PEGA rec 37 (permanent monitoring).The draft 2025 Rule‑of‑Law report already flags spyware as a gap.

Take‑aways for observers
  • Timing – The real legislative text will appear only in late 2025; until then, progress relies on soft‑law (Council toolbox) and infringement action.
  • Political friction – Several governments (HU, PL, EL, ES) oppose EU‑level warrants; the Council may dilute binding elements.
  • Budget – The ENISA Hub is the first concrete funding line (€25 m); more significant sums may follow under the 2027‑2034 MFF.
  • Parliament’s leverage – During codecision in 2026, MEPs can insist on stricter vendor bans and stronger victim‑notification rights.

Strengthening Rural Areas in the EU through Cohesion Policy

Discussion: MONDAY, 16 June 2025, at 20h00

Report A10‑0092/2025
In view of the Commission’s Mid‑term review package of Cohesion Policy (COM(2025) 163‑164) and the upcoming Rural Action Plan 2025‑2027, the Parliament’s report A10‑0092/2025 provides both political backing and concrete direction for the new measures now taking shape.

Parliament’s priority (A10‑0092/2025)

1. Close the infrastructure gap in transport, broadband/5 G and renewable‑ready energy grids.
What the Commission is preparing: Mid‑term review package will let Member States re‑programme 2021‑27 funds and create a “Rural Focus Window” under REACT‑EU to fast‑track projects < €5 m in exactly those areas (Q4 2025 entry into force).

2. Improve essential services (health, education, housing, water) and curb depopulation.
What the Commission is preparing: Re‑programming rules add priority tags for rural healthcare facilities and water‑management projects in drought‑prone regions.

3. Offer youth & women real prospects and support rural SMEs.
What the Commission is preparing: Rural Action Plan update will launch a Rural Skills Pact and open InvestEU micro‑loan guarantees to rural start‑ups (Communication slated for autumn 2025).

4. Promote digital hubs and remote‑working options.
What the Commission is preparing: Flagship action “Rural Digital Hubs” in the Action Plan will fund 1 000 community spaces with high‑speed internet and training by 2027.

5. Mainstream a “rural lens” across all EU legislation.
What the Commission is preparing: New Rural Proofing Guidelines 2.0 (end‑2025) make ex‑ante rural‑impact checks mandatory for future EU proposals and give Member States a replicable checklist.


What this means in practice:
  • Quick wins (2025‑2027) – Local authorities can re‑allocate existing ERDF/ESF+ envelopes toward shovel‑ready rural infrastructure and service projects as soon as the review package is adopted.
  • Strategic outlook (post‑2027 MFF) – The report’s call for a stronger, simpler cohesion policy dovetails with the Commission’s intention to embed rural proofing in the next financial framework, ensuring stable funding and less red tape for rural SMEs and communities.
  • Stakeholder influence – A public consultation on the Rural Action Plan runs until July 2025; regions and associations can still push for additional flagship actions (e.g. rural tourism clusters, climate‑resilient water retention schemes).

Parliament’s report sets out the political ambition; the Commission’s mid‑term review, updated Action Plan and proofing guidelines supply the operational tools. Together they chart a credible path to make rural areas full partners in Europe’s economic, social and green transition—turning the report’s recommendations into funded reality before 2030. 

EU Directive on Combating the sexual abuse and sexual exploitation of children and child sexual abuse material and replacing Council Framework Decision 2004/68/JHA (recast of in force directive)

Discussion: Tuesday, 17 June 2025, at 9h00
Report:  A10-0097/2025
If timelines hold, the new directive could be adopted mid‑2026 and transposed by Member States by end‑2028, while the CSAM Regulation sets parallel risk‑based duties for platforms.

Here the Parliament's position on the Commission' proposal for a Directive:
  • Legal form & scope
    • Parliament: Recasts the 2011 directive; criminalises abuse offline and online and replaces “child pornography” with CSAM (child sexual‑abuse material).
    • Commission link: Builds on proposal COM(2024) 60 (Feb 2024) that identified enforcement gaps.
  • New / updated offences
    • Parliament: Adds livestreamed abuse, real‑time grooming, AI/deep‑fake CSAM, sexual extortion/coercion, and sharing of self‑generated CSAM.
    • Commission link: COM(2024) 60 already covered livestreaming; LIBE extends the scope to synthetic images and VR spaces.
  • Penalties
    • Parliament: Minimum 5 years for aggravated offences, 2 years for grooming; higher ceilings for repeat or organised crime.
    • Commission link: Parliament raises the floors above those in COM(2024) 60.
  • Victim rights & support
    • Parliament: Child‑friendly reporting channels, long‑term psychological aid financed by crime proceeds, mandatory compensation orders.
    • Commission link: Complements the parallel revision of the Victims’ Rights Directive (2024 package).
  • Online‑service obligations
    • Parliament: 24‑hour removal of CSAM on notice, 90‑day evidence‑preservation, single point of contact per platform.
    • Commission link: Must dovetail with the separate CSAM Regulation (COM(2022) 209) now in trilogue.
  • Preventive measures
    • Parliament: Compulsory background checks for child‑facing staff every three years; EU training curriculum for investigators and judges.
    • Commission link: Mirrors actions in the 2020 EU Strategy against child sexual abuse.
  • Enforcement & jurisdiction
    • Parliament: Extraterritorial jurisdiction over EU citizens/offences abroad; establishes an EU Centre on Child Sexual Abuse as a data hub.
    • Commission link: The Centre is already foreseen in COM(2022) 209; DG HOME targets operational status by 2027.
  • Data & transparency
    • Parliament: Annual public statistics on prosecutions, removals and victim assistance.
    • Commission link: Data will feed the Commission’s Rule‑of‑Law Report starting 2026.

Where the Commission stands now
  1. Legislative track
    COM(2024) 60 is under Council discussion; the Belgian Presidency aims for a general approach by December 2025, opening inter‑institutional talks in early 2026.
  2. CSAM Regulation (“Chat‑Control”)
    A linked file (COM(2022) 209). Ministers remain split over detection‑order powers; Parliament insists scanning must be targeted.
  3. EU Centre set‑up
    An implementing decision on the Centre’s mandate, budget (€65 m, 2026‑30) and location is due Q1 2026.
  4. Funding & programmes
    – €25 m under Digital Europe (Safer Internet/INHOPE, 2025‑27).
    – Horizon‑Europe Cluster 3 call (H‑CL3‑2025‑FCT‑01‑05) for privacy‑preserving detection tools (opens Oct 2025).
Next steps
  • LIBE vote in committee: 3 July 2025
  • Plenary first reading: 17 June 2025
  • Council general approach: December 2025

Electricity Grids: the Backbone of the EU Energy System

Discussion: Wednesday, 18 June 2025, at 17h00
Report:  A10-0091/2025

The European Parliament has drafted an own‑initiative report in response to the Commission’s recent communications on Europe’s electricity grids, setting Parliament’s priorities for the sector—doubling cross‑border capacity, creating an EU Grid Investment Platform, tightening permitting deadlines and mandating smart‑grid digitalisation—so that the network can absorb rising renewable generation and guarantee affordable, secure power across the Union. Refences the Communications are in the Report.

Key messages of the report

  • Grid expansion & modernisation – double cross‑border capacity and refurbish ageing distribution lines; mirrors the Commission’s 14‑point EU Action Plan for Grids (COM(2023) 734).
  • Financing tools – calls for an EU Grid Investment Platform under InvestEU and a dedicated “grid window” in CEF‑Energy.
  • Digitalisation & smart grids – mandatory smart‑meter coverage and EU funding for DSO digital‑twins.
  • Permitting & governance – one‑stop shops and strict two‑year deadlines for grid permits.
  • Cyber‑resilience & supply chains – grid components to be covered by the Cyber‑Resilience Act and listed as Net‑Zero strategic technology.


Snapshot of the Commission’s work

1. Mid‑2025 implementation scoreboard of the Action Plan for Grids. Published in May 2025. Tracks progress on permitting, grid investment platform design, digital‑twin pilots.

2.. Legislative follow‑up:
  • “European Grids Package”. EU Regulation on the Grid Investment Platform. When decided, it will give legal teeth to many of the Parliament’s recommendations. The proposal should be published on Q4 2025 and after Public consultation  started on 13 May 2025,
  • DSO‑permitting directive,
  • TEN‑E update. The Regulation, when published, Gives legal teeth to many of the Parliament’s recommendations.

3. New CEF‑Energy “Grid Window”. New Call opens on Jan 2026 (€2 bn). It directly answers the Report’s financing ask.

4. Network codes on demand‑response, storage, hybrid hubs. Draft ACER/ENTSO‑E → Adoption 2026. Implements the technical parts of the report. Several documents were transmitted between ACER and ENTSO-E. These documents form the legislative and technical backbone for the new network codes on demand response, storage and hybrid hubs, which the Commission plans to adopt—via comitology—by 2026. Ask us more info.

The Plenary will vote 7 amendments, 6 of whic tabled by MEPs of right wings.


What happens next

  • Plenary vote 19 June 2025 – MEPs will first vote on amendments; the final resolution will then become Parliament’s official negotiating position.
  • Commission package Q4 2025 – The extent to which the Commission’s European Grids Package reflects Parliament’s asks (especially financing platform, smart‑grid focus, social safeguards) will depend on the amendment votes.
  • Council Energy ministers will discuss the Action Plan scoreboard on 7 Oct 2025, providing another opening to push amended priorities.