How to watch the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE)

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Ordinary meeting

Future Europol: Commission proposal and parliamentary scrutiny

Javier Zarzalejos and 13 others

The Commission presents its ‘future Europol’ initiative to double staff and budget and expand operational, technological and cooperation roles, then faces several Q&A rounds on making Europol truly operational, reducing red tape, use of AI, data protection and EDPS oversight, organised crime, encryption, cooperation with Eurojust/EPPO/third countries and asset recovery, before concluding on safeguards and efficiency.

In this chapter

1. Europol reform item opened: Commission outlines objectivesJavier Zarzalejos
2. Q&A I: ‘truly operational’ Europol, drugs and agency cooperationJavier Zarzalejos
3. Q&A II: Red tape, customs, hybrid threats, role of national policeJavier Zarzalejos

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Ordinary meeting

JHA Agencies Network 2025–2026: mandates, priorities and scrutiny

Javier Zarzalejos and 6 others

LIBE examines the 2025 activities and 2026 priorities of the Justice and Home Affairs Agencies Network, with FRA and the EU Drugs Agency detailing digitalisation, AI, migration and organised crime work, followed by political groups’ questions on mandates, security–rights balance, ETIAS/EES and budgets, and closing exchanges on prevention, parliamentary backing and funding gaps between security and fundamental‑rights bodies.

In this chapter

1. Meeting resumes: agenda item 15 introducedJavier Zarzalejos
2. FRA: 2025 JHA agencies cooperation, AI and rightsJavier Zarzalejos
3. EU Drugs Agency: 2026 presidency and ‘One Safety’ theme

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Joint meeting Committee on Constitutional Affairs Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield

Q&A round 2 – Digital omnibus, sovereignty, benchmarks and Hungary

Nathalie Loiseau and 4 others

MEPs probe the digital omnibus proposal, European digital sovereignty, responses to foreign interference and democratic backsliding, and free‑speech implications of AI curation, with experts warning against weakening GDPR, calling for clearer DSA benchmarks, transparency of bots and vendors, and robust DSA enforcement and resilience measures in cases like Hungary.

In this chapter

1. Q&A round 2 – Questions on digital omnibus, sovereignty, Hungary and free speechNathalie Loiseau
2. Q&A round 2 – Expert replies on omnibus risks, benchmarks and editorial transparencyJavier Zarzalejos

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Joint meeting Committee on Budgetary Control

Start of MEP Q&A on AI and electoral integrity

Charles Goerens and 1 other

The chairs launch the MEP Q&A round with strict speaking times, and EPP’s Paulo Cunha opens by warning about AI‑enabled personalized disinformation and stressing the need for transparency and safeguards so that technological developments remain compatible with democratic processes, before directing a first question to expert Narciso.

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Joint meeting Committee on Constitutional Affairs Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield

Q&A round 1 – Platform accountability, manipulation standards and EU–national roles

Javier Zarzalejos and 5 others

MEPs question experts on real‑time defence against opaque AI‑driven platform risks, gaps between formal compliance and rights protection, and who defines manipulation versus legitimate speech, prompting replies focused on stricter DSA enforcement, targeting coordinated inauthentic behaviour over content truth, and clarifying EU‑level versus national responsibilities.

In this chapter

1. Q&A round 1 – MEP questions on platform risks, EU competence and AI legitimacyJavier Zarzalejos
2. Q&A round 1 – Expert replies on DSA enforcement, bots and EU vs national rolesCharles Goerens

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Joint meeting Committee on Budgetary Control

Expert assessments: AI‑driven election risks and EU rulebook enforcement

Javier Zarzalejos PPE

Experts Narciso, Müller and Calabrese analyse how AI amplifies election interference across the whole electoral cycle, erodes information integrity and disproportionately targets vulnerable candidates, while also being used by electoral authorities themselves; they argue existing EU digital rules must be robustly enforced and clarified for systems that influence elections ‘by consequence’, urging better data, observatories and red‑teaming, clearer accountability for platforms’ algorithms and political ads, and support for democratic, EU‑based tech ecosystems aligned with fundamental rights.

In this chapter

1. Expert Narciso: AI as amplifier of election interference and need for data and observatoriesJavier Zarzalejos
2. Expert Müller: erosion of information integrity and AI risks in election administrationJavier Zarzalejos
3. Expert Calabrese: enforcing EU digital rules and building democratic tech ecosystemsJavier Zarzalejos

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Joint meeting Committee on Constitutional Affairs Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield

Expert assessments of AI risks to elections and EU rulebook

Javier Zarzalejos PPE

External experts detail systemic AI threats to information ecosystems, marginalized candidates and election administration, analyse gaps in the AI Act and DSA regarding high‑risk tools and ‘intended to influence’ criteria, and stress the need for enforcement, observatories, stress‑testing and EU values‑driven tech models.

In this chapter

1. Expert Narciso: systemic AI election threats and safeguardsJavier Zarzalejos
2. Expert Miller: four structural AI challenges for electionsJavier Zarzalejos
3. Expert Calabrese: EU digital rulebook, enforcement gaps and platform duties

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Joint meeting Committee on Budgetary Control

AI, democracy and elections: hearing opening and institutional framing

Javier Zarzalejos and 3 others

LIBE, AFCO and UDS chairs formally open the joint hearing on ‘democracy, elections in the AI era’, outline the institutional set‑up and recent EU initiatives (AI Act, DSA, political ads rules), and frame AI as both an opportunity and a threat to electoral integrity, fundamental rights and democratic legitimacy, calling for resilient institutions and human‑centric governance structures.

In this chapter

1. Opening of hearing on democracy, elections and AIJavier Zarzalejos
2. Co‑chairs and rapporteur: AI threats, EU values and institutional resilienceNathalie Loiseau

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Joint meeting Committee on Constitutional Affairs Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield

Opening of AI–elections hearing and institutional framing

Javier Zarzalejos and 3 others

Chairs from LIBE, UDS and AFCO open the joint hearing, set its structure and legal context, and frame AI’s impact on electoral procedures, fundamental rights, and democratic accountability, with the rapporteur calling for an EU observatory and stronger scrutiny.

In this chapter

1. Opening of public hearing on AI and electionsJavier Zarzalejos
2. UDS chair: AI‑driven manipulation risks and opportunitiesNathalie Loiseau
3. AFCO perspective and institutional framing of AICharles Goerens
4. Rapporteur: AI as constitutional issue and need for EU observatoryEmmanouil Kefalogiannis

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Joint meeting Committee on Constitutional Affairs Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield

EPPO evaluation conclusion and agenda transition

Marina Kaljurand and 1 other

LIBE and IMCO chairs collect final clarifications from EPPO on competence conflicts and investigations, formally close the EPPO evaluation item and transition to the AI and elections hearing.

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Joint meeting Committee on Budgetary Control

National cooperation, enforcement gaps and country‑specific EPPO issues

Andreas Schwab and 9 others

MEPs question Kövesi on operational cooperation with national authorities, overlaps with OLAF, and divergent national practices, with a focus on Germany and Bulgaria, as she points to specialization (e.g. Guardia di Finanza) and mentalities as key determinants of case numbers; Greek MEPs then raise EPPO’s work on agricultural funds and the Tempi case, allowing Kövesi to describe good cooperation with Greek authorities, systemic conflicts of competence and limited judicial recourse, and her plan to reassess Greek follow‑up to EPPO requests, before the LIBE and CONT chairs close the EPPO session by reaffirming its role in protecting EU finances.

In this chapter

1. National cooperation, Germany & Bulgaria: enforcement gaps and political obstaclesAndreas Schwab
2. Greek focus and closing of EPPO sessionMarina Kaljurand

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Joint meeting Committee on Budgetary Control

Mandate, resources and institutional independence of EPPO

Marina Kaljurand and 6 others

MEPs from S&D, ECR and Renew probe EPPO’s needs to tackle large‑scale corruption and organized crime, asking about budget, staffing, delegated prosecutors, and priorities for the new Chief Prosecutor, while Kövesi links this to the anti‑corruption directive, insists on tripling EPPO’s budget and strengthening its role in the EU anti‑fraud architecture, and stresses reforms to secure EPPO’s full judicial independence and clarify competences in the forthcoming Regulation revision announced by the Commission.

In this chapter

1. S&D and ECR: corruption mandate, resources and priorities for successorMarina Kaljurand
2. Renew & Commission: citizen complaints, EPPO independence and Regulation revisionRaquel García Hermida-Van Der Walle
3. Greens, Left & others: resources, mandate extension, RRF and customs/VAT fraudGilles Boyer

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Joint meeting Committee on Budgetary Control

Kövesi: EPPO operational results, under‑resourcing and integrity issues

Marina Kaljurand and 2 others

EPPO Chief Prosecutor Laura Kövesi details how fraud against the EU budget was vastly underestimated, with exponential growth in VAT and customs cases linked to organized crime, and calls for revising the EPPO Regulation and PIF framework; EPP questions then focus on the disciplinary procedure against the Bulgarian European Prosecutor, EPPO’s notification to EU institutions, and methods for detecting complex VAT fraud while safeguarding strict internal ethics and disciplinary standards.

In this chapter

1. Kövesi’s keynote: building EPPO, underestimated fraud and capacity limitsMarina Kaljurand
2. First Q&A (EPP): Bulgarian European Prosecutor case, VAT fraud detection and integrityTomáš Zdechovský

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Joint meeting Committee on Budgetary Control

EPPO joint LIBE–CONT meeting: opening and political framing

Marina Kaljurand and 1 other

Chairs from LIBE and CONT open the joint hearing, adopt the agenda and frame EPPO as central to protecting the EU budget, highlighting surging caseloads, sanctions and environmental crime debates, RRF‑related risks, and the need to align EPPO with the wider EU anti‑fraud architecture and provide adequate resources and powers.

In this chapter

1. Opening of joint LIBE–CONT meeting and EPPO agendaMarina Kaljurand
2. Chair: EPPO performance, caseload surge and mandate debateMarina Kaljurand
3. CONT Chair Schwab: budgetary protection, RRF risks and anti‑fraud architectureAndreas Schwab

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Ordinary meeting

Voting session and joint IMCO–LIBE AI omnibus vote setup

Javier Zarzalejos and 3 others

LIBE conducts its electronic voting session on PNR transfer agreements and pilot projects, then reconvenes jointly with IMCO to set up the procedural framework for voting on the AI omnibus proposal, including substitutions, amendment handling, links to plenary for trilogue authorisation and the co‑rapporteur’s positioning of the file as key to an AI‑friendly EU framework.

In this chapter

1. Voting session: PNR agreements and pilot projectsJavier Zarzalejos
2. Joint IMCO–LIBE session: AI omnibus procedural setupJavier Zarzalejos

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Ordinary meeting

Democracy and rule of law monitoring and CSAM interim regulation

Javier Zarzalejos and 8 others

The DRF Monitoring Group presents its recent country work, missions and horizontal priorities, prompting calls for more consistent, transparent scrutiny across member states, after which rapporteur Sippel and groups react to the failed extension of the interim CSAM detection regulation, debating legal bases, data protection and Council–Parliament dynamics while pointing to the forthcoming permanent CSAM file.

In this chapter

1. DRF Monitoring Group: activities, missions and prioritiesJavier Zarzalejos
2. Failure to extend interim CSAM detection regulation: rapporteur and group reactionsJavier Zarzalejos

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Ordinary meeting

Slovakia Beneš decrees clause: rule of law exchange

Javier Zarzalejos and 11 others

The committee holds an in‑depth exchange on Slovakia’s criminal code amendment linked to the Beneš decrees, with the Commission and experts outlining legal context, minority‑rights risks and continuing confiscations, followed by political groups questioning EU competences, enforcement tools and possible follow‑up, before the Chair closes the item and connects it to broader DRF monitoring work.

In this chapter

1. Slovakia criminal code amendment and Beneš decrees: Commission and expertsJavier Zarzalejos
2. Political groups’ questions on Slovakia, rule of law and EU responseLoránt Vincze
3. Closing of Slovakia debate and transition to DRF Monitoring Group reportJavier Zarzalejos

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Ordinary meeting

External action, migration conditionality and agency oversight

Javier Zarzalejos and 6 others

LIBE defines priorities for the Global Europe (NDICI) instrument, contrasting a human‑rights‑centred development policy with calls for stronger migration and readmission conditionality, before hearing back from the Tallinn mission to eu-LISA on interoperability, large‑scale IT systems and funding needs ahead of the next MFF.

In this chapter

1. Global Europe (NDICI) programme: draft opinion and migration conditionalityJavier Zarzalejos
2. EULisa Tallinn mission report and agency reactionJavier Zarzalejos

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Ordinary meeting

Opening of LIBE meeting and initial opinions

Javier Zarzalejos and 8 others

LIBE Chair Zarzalejos opens the meeting, adjusts the agenda, announces rapporteurships and coordinators’ decisions, then the committee moves to the UN Cybercrime Convention recommendation and the draft opinion on the EU–Switzerland agreements package, with rapporteurs and groups setting out legal safeguards, human‑rights concerns and positions on free movement and Schengen cooperation.

In this chapter

1. Opening of meeting and agenda changesJavier Zarzalejos
2. UN Cybercrime Convention: rapporteur and groups’ positionsJavier Zarzalejos
3. EU–Switzerland agreements package: opinion debateJavier Zarzalejos

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs – LIBE DRFMG Working Group Meeting

Commission civil society strategy and Panel 2 NGO proposals

Krzysztof Śmiszek S&D

After closing Panel 1, the chair introduces the forward‑looking segment where the Commission outlines the 2024 EU Strategy for Civil Society and related tools, followed by NGOs detailing gaps in protection, funding and transparency and proposing EU‑level legal, political and financial measures to secure civic space.

In this chapter

1. Transition to Panel 2 and Commission civil society strategy
2. Panel 2: NGO proposals on protection, funding and transparencyKrzysztof Śmiszek

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs – LIBE DRFMG Working Group Meeting

Opening of LIBE hearing and FRA evidence

Krzysztof Śmiszek S&D

The chair opens the LIBE DRFMG meeting on civic space, presents the objectives and structure, and FRA provides data on shrinking civic space, NGO vulnerability and upcoming EU instruments such as the Democracy Shield, civil society strategy and funding tools.

In this chapter

1. Opening and FRA evidence on shrinking civic space
2. Panel 1: EU advisory bodies and NGOs on civic space restrictionsKrzysztof Śmiszek
3. Q&A: GONGOs, fiscal constraints and normalisation of restrictionsKrzysztof Śmiszek

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Extraordinary meeting

Minority opinion: Greens on punitive, non-evidence-based returns

Tineke Strik Verts/ALE

Tineke Strik tables a minority opinion stating that the report is built on a misleading narrative blaming non-compliant returnees and portraying them as security threats, contradicting the EU Return Coordinator’s analysis; she criticizes the lack of impact assessment and warns that punitive measures, including deportations to third-country return hubs with likely detention and legal limbo, will violate fundamental rights and further erode evidence-based migration policymaking.

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Extraordinary meeting

EPP shadow rapporteur’s support for stronger returns framework

Javier Zarzalejos PPE

The EPP shadow rapporteur welcomes the vote as long-awaited progress after years of deadlock, arguing that revising the ineffective 2008 directive will strengthen the EU’s capacity to tackle irregular migration, restore citizens’ trust in migration policy, combat human smuggling, and proceed rapidly to trilogues on the basis of a broad and clear majority around the rapporteur’s compromise.

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Extraordinary meeting

Minority opinion: returns hubs and EU values (S&D)

Javier Zarzalejos PPE

An S&D member presents a minority opinion arguing that the adopted report, by allowing return hubs in third countries with possible indefinite detention and unclear legal responsibility or transparency, violates Article 2 TEU values, undermines human dignity, voluntary return, appeal rights and legal safeguards, and risks turning returns policy into a trade in persons contrary to EU geopolitical and value-based interests.

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Extraordinary meeting

Roll-call votes on amendments, final text and trilogue mandate

Javier Zarzalejos PPE

The Chair explains the voting order, conducts a series of roll-call votes rejecting a proposal for rejection and the compromise amendments while adopting the alternative compromise amendments, then puts the amended draft text to a final vote where it is adopted, followed by a separate vote granting a mandate to enter interinstitutional (trilogue) negotiations, which is also adopted.

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Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs Extraordinary meeting

Quorum, substitutions and rapporteur’s introduction on returns regulation

Javier Zarzalejos PPE

The Chair confirms interpretation, quorum, and announces substitute members for the vote, then gives the floor to rapporteur Malik Asmani, who frames the file as the final and highly sensitive element of the Migration Pact, presents his aim for a balanced text combining effective return policy with fundamental rights, and calls for a broad centrist majority and swift mandate for trilogue negotiations.

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