Updated rules to protect children from sexual abuse online

On 6 February, the Commission proposed a recast of the Directive 2011/93/EU to strengthen criminal law on child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation.  

Child sexual abuse is a growing problem, both online and offline. In 2022 alone, there were 1.5 million reports of child sexual abuse in the EU.   

The revised rules expand the definitions of offences, introducing higher penalties and more specific requirements for prevention and assistance to victims. They are complementary to the proposal for a Regulation that the Commission put forward in 2022 – which sets out obligations for internet companies to detect, report and remove child sexual abuse material on their services. 

For More Information: 

• Press release 

• Q&A 

• Factsheet 

• Child Sexual Abuse - European Commission

• The EU Strategy for a more effective fight against child sexual abuse