The European Union has reached a political agreement on a new directive updating criminal law rules to combat child sexual abuse and sexual exploitation, the European Commission announced on 22 June 2026. The agreement, struck between the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council (the EU's three main legislative bodies), modernises existing legal frameworks to address emerging threats. The deal is considered especially timely given the growing proliferation of AI-generated child sexual abuse material, which poses new challenges for law enforcement across member states.