On Monday, Parliament and Council negotiators agreed on modernising the EU legal framework for combating child sexual abuse (CSA) crimes, including updated definitions, higher maximum punishments, longer limitation periods for prosecuting crimes, and better victim support.

Criminalising new offences

Taking into account technological developments, the updated law criminalises new offences, like producing or disseminating instruction manuals for CSA crimes including exploitation and solicitation (to be punishable by at least two years’ imprisonment).

MEPs pushed for the criminalisation of artificial intelligence systems designed or adapted specifically to produce child sexual abuse material. Going forward, acquiring, possessing or disseminating such systems will be punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment. MEPs also ensured that organising another person’s travel to another country for the purpose of abuse will be criminalised (by up to one year).

Unlike the existing…