The revision of Directive moves forward with the European Parliament adopting its position, which directly impacts sport as part of environments involving close interaction with children. It introduces mandatory training and reporting responsibilities for both staff and volunteers, with a requirement for criminal background checks for individuals working in sports clubs.

Members of the European Parliament have backed revisions to current legislation aimed at tackling emerging threats, including AI-generated abuse content and live-streamed exploitation – both of which would be prohibited under the new directive. Key changes include harsher maximum penalties, the elimination of statutes of limitation to allow victims more time to report abuse, and a clearer definition of consent, specifying that silence or inaction cannot be interpreted as agreement.

Negotiations between the European Parliament and the Council to finalise the legislation are set to begin on 23 June. In parallel, lawmakers are also considering a separate regulation focused on online child sexual abuse material.