Countering transnational repression – towards an EU strategy to protect Europe’s sovereignty and democratic values
The European Parliament adopted by 434 votes to 128, with 104 abstentions, a resolution on countering transnational repression – towards an EU strategy to protect Europe’s sovereignty and democratic values.
Establishing a mutual understanding of transnational repression at the Union level
Members believe that transnational repression constitutes a serious and growing threat to democracy and strongly condemned acts of transnational repression and foreign interference, particularly those committed in EU Member States. They called on the Commission and Member States to recognise that transnational repression is an unacceptable and unlawful, primarily carried out by authoritarian regimes, and to commit to a zero-tolerance approach requiring decisive, coordinated, and comprehensive action.
Parliament called on the Commission, the Council, and the Member States to adopt a common EU-wide definition of transnational repression and to systematically integrate this definition into all EU policies and instruments. Member States are invited to codify transnational repression in their national legislation.
Members noted with concern that the targets of transnational repression include a broad range of individuals and groups, including dissidents, journalists, activists, academics, and members of the diaspora and their families.
Transnational repression encompasses a wide range of coercive practices that are constantly expanding, including: (i) physical acts (targeted assassinations, abductions, forced returns and disappearances), (ii) legal and administrative abuses (abuse of consular services, extradition proceedings, abuse of international notice systems, asset freezes), (iii) non-physical coercive methods (digital surveillance, threats, intimidation, spyware).
Isolated national responses cannot effectively address transnational repression, and therefore all Member States must engage and prepare within a coordinated European framework.
Strengthen EU coordination, data collection and institutional response
Parliament called on the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS), in cooperation with the relevant EU bodies, including Europol, to establish an EU-wide data collecting, monitoring and reporting on transnational repression. This mechanism should cover incidents occurring both within the EU and globally and be available to the Commission and Member States to inform their actions against transnational repression. Reporting channels should be multilingual and trauma-informed, while ensuring robust data protection and confidentiality.
Members recognised the essential role played by civil society organisations in documenting the less visible forms of transnational repression and recalled the need to support civil society, journalists, whistleblowers and others who expose the mechanisms and cases of transnational repression.
Parliament called on Member States to organise specialised training for law enforcement agencies on identifying transnational repression and responding to it. It urged the establishment of a comprehensive framework to address the fragmentation of national responses and to ensure coordination and information sharing among the EU institutions and bodies, Member States, national human rights bodies, and relevant stakeholders. Member States are invited to designate national contact points tasked with coordinating between relevant authorities at all levels regarding transnational repression. The Council is asked to appoint a coordinator for countering transnational repression.
Strengthening the protection and support of people targeted by transnational repression
Parliament called for a comprehensive, intersectional, and victim-centred approach to protecting and supporting those targeted by transnational repression. This approach should combine immediate and long-term protection measures with targeted support for those at high risk, such as women and LGBTIQ+ groups. Prevention, protection, accountability, and deterrence measures, as well as access to legal and administrative assistance and psychosocial support, are essential.
Members stressed the need to prevent and respond to specific forms of transnational repression (physical or digital and technological transnational repression, coercion by proxy and family-based repression).
Tackling the structures that enable transnational repression
Parliament encouraged the institutions and Member States of the Union to adopt measures to prevent the risk of their structures being misused by those engaged in transnational repression.
Parliament encouraged the EU institutions and the Member States to take measures to avoid the risk of their structures being abused by perpetrators of transnational repression.
Members recommended, inter alia: (i) rigorously vetting and, where appropriate, revoke investment-linked residence permits and similar ‘golden visa’ arrangements for persons credibly linked to regimes or networks known to engage in transnational repressive activities; (ii) establishing an EU-wide appeal mechanism for abusive Interpol Red Notices; (iii) preventing the misuse of financial instruments, such as the misuse of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing frameworks; and (iv) protecting asylum and migration services and consular services from misuse by perpetrators of transnational repressive activities.
The resolution stressed the need to increase the cost of transnational repression and strengthen deterrence, including through effective investigations and prosecutions of perpetrators and enablers. Individuals and entities who knowingly facilitate or profit from transnational repression on behalf of foreign states must be clearly held legally accountable.
Lastly, Parliament called on the Commission and the EEAS to systematically integrate countering the fight against transnational repression into the EU's external action, and in particular into political and human rights dialogue, engagement with non-EU countries and candidate countries, and public diplomacy.