Countering transnational repression – towards an EU strategy to protect Europe’s sovereignty and democratic values

10.6.2026 A10-0142/1

Amendment 1

Petar Volgin

on behalf of the ESN Group

Report A10-0142/2026

Hannah Neumann

Countering transnational repression – towards an EU strategy to protect Europe’s sovereignty and democratic values

(2025/2179(INI))

Motion for a resolution (Rule 188(3) of the Rules of Procedure) replacing non-legislative motion for a resolution A10-0142/2026

European Parliament resolution on countering transnational repression – towards an EU strategy to protect Europe’s sovereignty and democratic values

– having regard to Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and to Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

– having regard to the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights,

– having regard to the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression of 26 April 2024 entitled ‘Journalists in exile’,

– having regard to the G7 Leaders’ Statement on Transnational Repression of 17 June 2025 and to the G7 Compendium of Tools to Counter Transnational Repression,

– having regard to the work of the Council of Europe to address transnational repression,

– having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in particular Articles 3, 4 and 21 thereof,

– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

– having regard to the EU Guidelines on Human Rights Defenders, adopted in 2008,

– having regard to Article 188(3) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas freedom of expression is a cornerstone of democracy and a prerequisite for the effective exercise of many other fundamental rights and freedoms;

B. whereas transnational repression refers to aggressive forms of foreign interference whereby states or their proxies seek to intimidate, harass, surveil, coerce, threaten, abduct or otherwise silence individuals and communities beyond their borders; whereas acts commonly described as transnational repression may be carried out by a variety of state and non-state actors and should not be presumed to be confined to any particular political system;

C. whereas any definition of transnational repression must remain precise and narrowly tailored, and must exclude lawful political expression, diplomatic activity and legitimate public debate;

D. whereas regulatory frameworks with extraterritorial effects may give rise to concerns regarding unintended constraints on freedom of expression and sovereignty beyond the EU;

E. whereas transnational repression can take multiple forms, including digital surveillance, cyber harassment, coercion by proxy, misuse of legal and diplomatic instruments, intimidation of family members, arbitrary detention and extraterritorial violence;

F. whereas transnational repression undermines national security, state sovereignty, democratic resilience, the rule of law and the protection of fundamental rights within the European Union;

G. whereas the increasing digitalisation of public life has created new opportunities for actors to monitor, intimidate and silence individuals;

H. whereas the United Nations has acknowledged that there is no international legal gap regarding transnational repression, but rather a significant protection gap requiring more effective implementation of existing legal and policy instruments;

I. whereas Member States possess a broad range of tools capable of addressing transnational repression, including criminal law, law-enforcement cooperation, diplomatic action and national security frameworks;

J. whereas effective responses to transnational repression require close cooperation among Member States while fully respecting the division of competences established by the Treaties and the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality;

1. Reaffirms that transnational repression may undermine the sovereignty of the Member States, the security of individuals residing within their territory and the effective exercise of fundamental rights and freedoms;

2. Strongly condemns all acts of transnational repression against individuals residing in the European Union or against citizens of EU Member States abroad;

3. Recalls the Member States’ human rights obligations as host countries and underlines their responsibility to safeguard individuals residing within their territory from acts of transnational repression through the effective use of the legal, administrative and policy instruments available at national level;

4. Reaffirms that the primary responsibility for the protection of persons within the territory of the Member States lies with the competent national authorities;

5. Acknowledges the need to respond appropriately to threats and coercive actions directed against citizens of Member States outside the Union, including arbitrary detention, intimidation and other forms of state-sponsored coercion;

6. Opposes the establishment of new EU-level agencies, administrative structures or permanent coordination mechanisms in the field of transnational repression;

7. Notes with concern, however, that standards, principles and policy approaches developed in international forums influence, in certain circumstances, the development of EU legislation and policy; stresses the importance of ensuring that any such influence avoids duplication and remains consistent with the Treaties and the established distribution of competences between the EU and the Member States;

8. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that legislation on digital services, content moderation and disinformation does not result in de facto global regulatory standards affecting lawful expression outside the EU’s jurisdiction;

9. Calls on the Commission to assess, in a transparent manner, the extraterritorial effects of EU regulatory frameworks on freedom of expression and sovereignty in non-EU countries;

10. Encourages the Member States, therefore, to make use of existing national frameworks and available policy tools to counter transnational repression, including immigration measures, operational tools, communication and outreach initiatives, diplomatic responses, law-enforcement cooperation, and capacity-building measures, tailored to national circumstances;

11. Supports the development and use of a non-binding working definition of transnational repression, drawing on internationally recognised definitions, in order to improve situational awareness, information-sharing and policy coordination across Member States, while fully respecting national competences;

12. Calls on the Commission and the European External Action Service to facilitate the exchange of best practices among Member States and to support voluntary coordination on responses to transnational repression where clear added value exists at EU level but without duplicating ongoing consultations in international forums such as the United Nations, the G7 and the Council of Europe;

13. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the Vice-President of the Commission / High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, and the governments and parliaments of the Member States.

Or. en