• The full name of the legislative file is the ‘Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse’ and its reference is 2022/0155(COD);
• It is often referred to as the ‘CSA Regulation’, ‘CSAR’ or ‘CSAM proposal’. It has also been coined ‘Chat Control’ by its critics;
• It is lex specialis to the EU’s Digital Services Act, meaning that it builds on and particularises certain parts of the DSA (those relevant to tackling child sexual abuse material online);
• The legal basis for the Regulation is Article 114 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), which provides for the functioning of the EU Internal Market.

• Access the official annexes and Commission impact assessment by scrolling down to ‘Commission adoption’ at the following link, and downloading the relevant documents.

• The file is a proposal for a Regulation, meaning that it not (yet) a piece of EU legislation, and therefore its rules do not apply (yet);
• The file is currently being negotiated within the European Parliament and the Council of the EU (member states). As of the beginning of October 2023, neither institution has agreed their official position;

• Originally scheduled for October 2021 and subsequently delayed several times, the file was eventually ‘adopted’ (proposed) by the European Commission on 11 May 2022;
• The lead European Commissioner is the Commissioner for Home Affairs (2019-2024), Ylva Johansson.

• The lead European Commission cabinet is DG HOME (Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs);
• DG HOME have published information and communications including a Q&A, factsheet and public campaign.

• The lead committee in the European Parliament is the committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE);
• The Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) committee is an Associated Committee;
• Three committees are opinion-giving committees: the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) committee, the Culture and Education (CULT) committee and the Budgets (BUDG) committee;
• More information is available in the Parliament’s Legislative Observatory page for the file.

More resources, including detailed information about the responsible MEPs, reports and amendments, and dates of key votes, are available in section 6.

• The Council Configuration is ‘Justice and Home Affairs’ (JHA) (Coreper II);
• The responsible working group is the Law Enforcement Working Party (LEWP);
• Many of the Council’s documents are routinely published in the public register.

More resources, including detailed information about the Council negotiations, relevant presidency compromise documents, and dates of key votes, are available in section 7.

• The CSA Regulation was put forward alongside a complementary but distinct strategy, called ‘Better internet for Kids‘, or BiK+
• It aims “to protect and empower children in the online world”
• The European Parliament’s Culture and Education (CULT) committee is in the process of developing a Resolution on the strategy

• The CSA Regulation is intended to replace Regulation (EU) 2021/1232, the ‘interim ePrivacy derogation’. The derogation expires on 3 August 2024, but the European Commission has confirmed [link in DE] that if necessary to avoid a legislative gap, it can be extended;
• A new European Parliament will be elected in June 2024 and a new European Commission will be appointed shortly after. If the CSA Regulation has not been fully adopted before the elections, the legislative process will automatically continue afterwards if there is a prior first reading position. If not, the Parliament’s position will lapse, and the Conference of Presidents must decide whether or not to continue the unfinished business (rule 240).

In September 2023, an investigation by journalists published in seven media outlets across Europe raised allegations of a conflict of interest from Commissioner Johansson and DG HOME staff. These allegations include facilitating access to a company with commercial interests in the file, Thorn, and have led to questions about the legitimacy and ethics of the Commission’s process in the preparation of the CSA Regulation:

• Original story in Balkan Insight (in English): https://balkaninsight.com/2023/09/25/who-benefits-inside-the-eus-fight-over-scanning-for-child-sex-content/
  • Zeit (in German): https://www.zeit.de/digital/datenschutz/2023-09/chatkontrolle-eu-ashton-kutcher-thorn
  • Le Monde (in French): https://www.lemonde.fr/article-offert/dxvzicdekfra-6190911/pedopornographie-en-ligne-bataille-d-influence-autour-d-un-texte-europeen-controverse
  • De Groene Amsterdammer (in Dutch): https://www.groene.nl/artikel/wie-heeft-hier-baat-bij-niet-de-kinderen
  • El Diario (in Spanish): https://www.eldiario.es/tecnologia/conflictos-intereses-lucha-ue-pornografia-infantil-internet_1_10535781.html
  • IRPI Media (in Italian): https://irpimedia.irpi.eu/sorveglianze-pericoli-nascosti-regolamento-anti-pedopornografia/
  • Solomon (in Greek): https://wearesolomon.com/el/mag/thematikh/logodosia-diafaneia/poios-ofeleitai-apo-ton-agona-tis-ee-kata-tis-paidikis-sexoualikis-kakopoihshs/
• Additional reporting detailing Europol’s request for the CSA Regulation to be expanded in future to allow scanning for other types od content: https://balkaninsight.com/2023/09/29/europol-sought-unlimited-data-access-in-online-child-sexual-abuse-regulation/
  • Netzpolitik (in German): https://netzpolitik.org/2023/interne-dokumente-europol-will-chatkontrolle-daten-unbegrenzt-sammeln/

The European Parliament’s Civil Liberties (LIBE) committee wrote to the Commissioner to request an explanation, and subsequently received a response from Thorn and from Commissioner Johansson:

• LIBE coordinators letter: https://cloud.edri.org/index.php/s/PMMTGWXXQiom8GZ
• Response from Thorn: https://netzpolitik.org/wp-upload/2023/10/2023-10-02_Thorn_LIBE_Letter.pdf
• Response from Commissioner Johansson: https://cloud.edri.org/index.php/s/TrEykTHYA2Cd4d8

EDPB-EDPS Joint Opinion 04/2022 on the Proposal for a Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse – 28 July 2022

Proposal for a regulation laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse: Complementary impact assessment, Study, European Parliamentary Research Service – April 2023

Opinion of the Legal Service, Proposal for a Regulation laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse – detection orders in interpersonal communications – Articles 7 and 8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights – Right to privacy and protection of personal data – proportionality – 26 April 2023

Opinion: Impact assessment / Regulation on detection, removal and reporting of child sexual abuse online, and establishing the EU centre to prevent and counter child sexual abuse – 15 February 2022

Opinion from the Houses of the Oireachtas, Joint Committee on Justice, on the application of the principles of Subsidiarity and Proportionality – 30 March 2023

Résolution n° 77 (2022-2023), devenue résolution du Sénat le 20 mars 2023, RÉSOLUTION EUROPÉENNE sur la proposition de règlement du Parlement européen et du Conseil établissant des règles en vue de prévenir et de combattre les abus sexuels sur enfants – COM(2022) 209 final

Antrag auf Stellungnahme gemäß Art. 23e Abs. 3 B-VG der Abgeordneten Mag. Carmen Jeitler-Cincelli, BA, Katharina Kucharowits,
Süleyman Zorba, MMag. Katharina Werner, Bakk.

TOP 1 COM (2022) 209 final Vorschlag für eine Verordnung des Europäischen Parlaments und des Rates zur Festlegung von Vorschriften zur Prävention und Bekämpfung des sexuellen Missbrauchs von Kindern (109099/EU XXVII.GP)

• In DE: https://epicenter.works/sites/default/files/antragaufstellungnahme_top1_com2022209final.pdf
• In EN: https://epicenter.works/sites/default/files/antragaufstellungnahme_top1_com2022209final-en.pdf

„Chatkontrolle“ – Analyse des Verordnungsentwurfs 2022/0155 (COD) der EU-Kommission

USNESENÍ výboru pro evropské záležitosti, Návrh nařízení o pravidlech pro předcházení pohlavnímu zneužívání dětí a boj proti němu

Motie van het lid Van Ginneken c.s. over zorgen dat het Europese voorstel geen encryptiebedreigende chatcontrol bevat

• The lead committee in the European Parliament is the committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE);
  • The lead Member of the European Parliament (MEP) (aka ‘rapporteur’) for the LIBE committee is MEP Javier Zarzalejos (Spain, European People’s Party);
• The Internal Market and Consumer Protection (IMCO) committee is an Associated Committee;
  • The rapporteur for the IMCO committee is MEP Alex Saliba (Malta, Socialists & Democrats);
• Three committees are opinion-giving committees: the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) committee, the Culture and Education (CULT) committee and the Budgets (BUDG) committee.

• Draft report: ***I Draft report on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse, Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Rapporteur Javier Zarzalejos (19.4.2023), available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/LIBE-PR-746811_EN.pdf
• Amendments tabled in LIBE committee:
  • Amendments 277 – 544
  • Amendments 545 – 953
  • Amendments 954 – 1332
  • Amendments 1333 – 1718
  • Amendments 1719 – 1909
• Compromise amendments: not publicly available
• Committee vote: 28 September (delayed) 9 October 2023 (delayed) 26 October 2023
• Plenary: vote or confirmation of mandate expected 8/9 November or w/c 20 November 2023
• Final report: following plenary

• Draft: Draft Opinion (8.2.2023), available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/IMCO-PA-740727_EN.pdf
• Final: Opinion of the Committee on the Internal Market and Consumer Protection for the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse, Rapporteur for opinion: Alex Agius Saliba (3.7.2023), available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/IMCO-AD-740727_EN.pdf

• FEMM: [Final] Opinion of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality for the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse, Rapporteur for opinion: Heléne Fritzon (29.6.2023), available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/FEMM-AD-746640_EN.pdf
• CULT: [Final] Opinion of the Committee on Culture and Education for the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse, Rapporteur for opinion: Niyazi Kizilyürek (29.3.2023), available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/CULT-AD-737365_EN.pdf
• BUDG: [Final] Opinion of the Committee on Budgets for the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs on the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council Laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse, Rapporteur for opinion: Niclas Herbst (9.6.2023), available at: https://www.europarl.europa.eu/doceo/document/BUDG-AD-740759_EN.pdf

• The file has been allocated to the Justice and Home Affairs configuration of the EU Council;
• Preparatory work is being led by the Law Enforcement Working Party (LEWP);
• The EU Council’s General Approach (position) was scheduled to be voted on by Justice and Home Affairs ministers representing each EU member state on 28 September 2023. This vote was not taken, as a significant number of member states had informed the Spanish Presidency of the EU Council that they would not be able to agree to the law in its current form;
• The next opportunity for a vote by the Justice and Home Affairs ministers is 19/20 October 2023. However, a spokesperson confirmed to Politico that no vote is currently scheduled. The schedule for this meeting will be published on 12/13 October;
• The next opportunity for a vote after that will be 4/5 December 2023.

• Leaked notes from German delegation about Law Enforcement Working Party meeting on 14 September 2023, discussing the compromise text of 8 September (in DE) – EU-Rat verschiebt Abstimmung über Chatkontrolle
• Presidency compromise text – 8 September – Document 12611/23
• Presidency compromise text – 1 August 2023 – Document 12066/23
• Presidency compromise text – 16 July 2023 – Document 11518/23

• Presidency Compromise text – 29 June 2023 – Document 10833/23
• Presidency compromise text – 8 June 2023 – Document 9971/23
• Presidency compromise text – 17 May 2023 – Document 9317/23
• Presidency compromise text – 4 May 2023 – Document 8845/23
• Presidency compromise text – 21 April 2023 – Document 7842/23
• Presidency compromise text – 23 March 2023 – Document 7595/23
• Presidency compromise text – 8 March 2023 – Document 7038/23

Document 9512/23

Document 9533/23

Document 8285/23

Document 8833/23

Document WK 10235/2022 ADD 10 REV 2.

Document has not been made public by the Council, but was leaked to Wired.

Additional analysis by Wired available here.

Document 8200/23

Document 7354/23

Document 14862/22

These are all listed in our blog, ‘Is this the most criticised EU law of all time?’

‘CSAM’ stands for ‘Child Sexual Abuse Material’. It’s a term used to refer to videos, photos, and sometimes written or audio content, which depict the sexual solicitation, abuse and exploitation of under-18s. Generally, the term CSAM is used to refer to the online sharing of such material, for example via messages, or in materials that are uploaded to a cloud server.

Sometimes the terms ‘CSEM’ or ‘CSAEM’ are used to specify that “exploitation” is also included.

‘OCSA’ stands for ‘online child sexual abuse’ and is the term used in the EU’s CSA Regulation to include both the material (CSAM) and the associated behaviours, such as grooming.

A derogation is an exception, passed via a legislative process, to carve out provisions of another law that will no longer apply in the specific context in which the derogation operates.

Wikipedia describes lex specialis as follows: “Lex specialis, in legal theory and practice, is a doctrine relating to the interpretation of laws and can apply in both domestic and international law contexts. The doctrine states that if two laws govern the same factual situation, a law governing a specific subject matter (lex specialis) overrides a law governing only general matters (lex generalis).”