Enhancing police cooperation in relation to the prevention, detection and investigation of migrant smuggling and trafficking in human beings, and on enhancing Europol’s support to preventing and combating such crimes and amending Regulation (EU) 2016/794
A proposed EU law. Parliament and the Council must agree on the same text: Parliament adopts its position, then negotiates with the Council.
Where it stands: Completed: published in the Official Journal on 22 December 2025 and now EU law.
- ✓ Referred to committee 29 February 2024
- ✓ Committee work Report adopted 20 May 2025
- ✓ Tabled for plenary 12 June 2025
- ✓ Negotiations with the Council Deal approved in committee 5 November 2025
- ✓ Plenary vote Adopted 25 November 2025
- ✓ Published as law 22 December 2025
How a file moves through Parliament
A file is referred to one lead committee (others may give an opinion). Its rapporteur writes a draft report, committee members table amendments, and the committee votes to adopt the report. The report is then tabled for all MEPs; political groups can table further amendments, which are voted on before the final vote in plenary. For a law, Parliament’s adopted text is its first-reading position; Parliament and the Council then negotiate a common text (trilogues) which both must approve before it is published as law.
Who is working on it
- Lead committee
- LIBE — Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs
- Rapporteur
- Jeroen LENAERS PPE
- Shadow rapporteurs
- Thijs REUTEN S&DMatthieu VALET PfEGeorgiana TEODORESCU ECRNikola MINCHEV RenewSaskia BRICMONT Verts/ALEIlaria SALIS The Left
The rapporteur drafts and negotiates the text for the lead committee; each other political group names a shadow rapporteur to follow the file.
The text, version by version
Committee draft → Tabled for plenary: Restructures the proposal by deleting the self-standing regulation and moving provisions into amendments to the Europol Regulation. Establishes the European Centre Against Migrant Smuggling within Europol with detailed tasks and composition. Adds provisions on national structures, information sharing via SIENA, and biometric data processing. Adds staff-related changes on contract duration and transitional arrangements, plus a budgetary assessment. Other changes are formal or wording: title, punctuation, and explanatory statement edits. see the changes →
Committee opinions: Opinion (BUDG),Draft opinion (BUDG)
Newest version first. Open a version to read it in full. “What changed” shows the differences paragraph by paragraph; ✦ lines are AI-written from the texts themselves.
Timeline
- Outcome
- 22 December 2025 Published in the Official Journal
The act is now EU law.
- 16 December 2025 Signed by the Presidents of Parliament and the Council
The last step before the act is published in the Official Journal.
- Plenary stage
- 25 November 2025 Plenary voteAdopted Adopted by an overwhelming majorityFor 556 Against 74 Abstained 7
Final vote on the provisional agreement at 12:28 · 87% of votes cast in favour · every MEP’s position →
Show all 7 ballots in voting order
1. Final vote on the provisional agreement 12:28 A10-0109/2025 – Jeroen Lenaers – Provisional agreement – Am 56Adopted2. Final vote Text as a wholeNot put to a vote, because an earlier vote already settled the matter.A vote by raised hands. Only the outcome is recorded, not who voted how. — no individual positions recordedNot put to a vote, because an earlier vote already settled the matter.Not put to a vote, because an earlier vote already settled the matter.Not put to a vote, because an earlier vote already settled the matter.Not put to a vote, because an earlier vote already settled the matter.Not put to a vote, because an earlier vote already settled the matter. - 25 November 2025 55 amendments tabled for the plenary vote
Groups propose changes to the tabled text; each is voted on before the final vote.
- 24 November 2025 Debated in plenary
MEPs debated the text in the chamber ahead of the vote.
- 19 November 2025 5 amendments tabled for the plenary vote
Groups propose changes to the tabled text; each is voted on before the final vote.
- Negotiations with the Council
- 5 November 2025 Committee approved the deal reached with the Council
The provisional agreement from the trilogues goes to the whole Parliament for a vote.
- 25 September 2025 Trilogue meeting
Negotiation between Parliament, Council and Commission on a common text.
- 23 June 2025 Trilogue meeting
Negotiation between Parliament, Council and Commission on a common text.
- 18 June 2025 Plenary endorsed the mandate to negotiate with the Council
Parliament’s negotiators can now seek a compromise text with the Council (in “trilogues”).
- Plenary stage
- 12 June 2025 Report tabled for plenary
This is the text all MEPs vote on. Political groups can still table amendments to it.
- Committee stage
- 20 May 2025 Committee vote: report adopted
LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) voted on the amendments and adopted the report that goes to plenary.
- 23 April 2025 BUDG (Budgets) adopted its opinion
The opinion is attached to the report for the lead committee to consider.
- 18 March 2025 Amendments tabled in committee
Members of LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) proposed changes to the draft.
- 21 February 2025 Draft opinion from BUDG (Budgets)
An associated committee gives its view to the lead committee.
- 13 February 2025 Draft report published
The rapporteur’s first text in LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs). Members can table amendments before the committee votes.
- 29 February 2024 Referred to the LIBE (Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) committee
The lead committee prepares Parliament’s report.