NEW MEETING OF THE LIBE COMMITTEE
On 13 and 14 July, the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE), chaired by Javier Zarzalejos, held a new meeting in Brussels with an agenda focused on some of the European Union’s main challenges: migration management, internal security, counter-terrorism and the protection of fundamental rights.
The meeting began with the presentation of the priorities of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union for the second half of 2026. The committee then received an update from the Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group, which continuously monitors the situation in the Member States.
One of the highlights was an update on the negotiations concerning the Regulation to prevent and combat child sexual abuse. As rapporteur for the file, Javier Zarzalejos informed LIBE members about the state of discussions between Parliament and the Council aimed at reaching an agreement on one of the most significant legislative proposals of the parliamentary term in the field of child protection.
Security once again featured prominently on the agenda with the presentation of Europol’s annual report on the terrorist threat in the European Union, TE-SAT 2026, which provides an overview of the evolution of terrorism and the risks faced by the Member States.
Tuesday’s session focused mainly on migration. MEPs examined the progress made on the future European system for managing returns and discussed the external dimension of asylum policy and the possible establishment of multifunctional centres along migration routes with representatives of the European Commission, Frontex and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The meeting also included an exchange of views on the situation of LGBTIQ+ rights in Europe and on the importance of protecting minority rights in order to guarantee strong democracies that fully respect fundamental freedoms.
On the legislative front, the committee continued to make progress on several files. These included the European application for the digital submission of travel data, consular protection for EU citizens in third countries, the agreement with Switzerland on the exchange of Passenger Name Record data, and a resolution on the future European Anti-Corruption Strategy. The committee also began examining the proposal to strengthen the fight against illicit firearms trafficking.
The meeting concluded with a public hearing on the implementation of the European equality directives and, in camera, an exchange of views with the European Commission on the meeting held in Brussels with representatives appointed by the Taliban to discuss the European Union’s return policy.