EU Parliament postpones vote on chat control

With the postponement in Parliament, however, the project has not failed. The further procedure now depends on the EU Council and on COREPER, the permanent representation body of the member states. Should the 27 EU states agree, the existing transitional arrangement would be extended until 2028, without the controversial obligations finally entering into force.

At EU level, the dossier therefore remains open for now. The EU Commission had originally presented the draft in order to better protect children from sexual abuse online. Whether and in what form the regulation comes is now a question of political majorities among the member states and of future negotiations with Parliament.

Role of the member states and the EU Commission

From the European Parliament, it was said that the issue would be put back on the agenda after the summer break. At the same time, pressure from civil society is growing: civil rights organisations and researchers are calling for the proposal to be fundamentally revised or withdrawn altogether. The next stage is therefore unlikely to be ushered in until after the summer break.

The political dispute over chat control is thus shifting from Brussels to the capitals of the member states. National governments must take a position, while citizens continue to wait for clarity on how far the surveillance of digital communication should be allowed to go.