Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

Transnational repression has become one of the most serious and under-addressed threats to democracy, human rights and state sovereignty and security within the European Union. Once primarily associated with authoritarian practices beyond Europe’s borders, it is now an increasingly prevalent phenomenon on EU territory, targeting, among others, exiles, members of diasporas, journalists, human rights defenders, political activists, humanitarian organisations and their donors, business representatives and their entities residing within the Union.

Through a broad and evolving range of physical, legal, financial, administrative, digital and proxy-based tactics, perpetrator states seek to silence dissent, intimidate communities and restrict civic participation across borders. These practices undermine fundamental rights and democratic space within the Union while violating Member State sovereignty through covert and coercive foreign interference and by restricting the ability of individuals residing in the EU to advocate for democracy, human rights and accountability in their countries of origin.

The urgency of addressing transnational repression has intensified as perpetrators increasingly exploit digital technologies, surveillance tools, FATF’s AML/CFT standards and cybersecurity frameworks, financial compliance frameworks, international cooperation mechanisms and migration systems in ways that often remain below traditional criminal or security thresholds. These tactics have evolved faster than the policy responses designed to counter them. At the same time, transnational repression remains significantly underreported and systematically underestimated, resulting in a persistent protection gap for those targeted.

Because transnational repression cuts across internal and external EU policies and exploits cross-border legal and institutional gaps, fragmented national responses are insufficient. Coordinated Union-level action is necessary to ensure consistency, close loopholes and prevent perpetrators from exploiting differences between Member States. Hence, while member states are affected differently by TNR, this report calls on all member states to jointly address the threat posed by TNR.

Moreover, the Union’s credibility as a global actor committed to democracy and human rights depends on its ability to protect individuals residing on its territory from repression by foreign states. Failing to do so not only endangers victims, affected communities, and associated entities, but also weakens the Union’s external action, and undermines trust in democratic institutions and the financial integrity and European competitiveness.

The recommendations in this report respond to the growing threat of transnational repression in the European Union and to the absence of a coherent, victim-centred EU strategy. They seek to close existing protection gaps by proposing a comprehensive approach grounded in human rights, democratic resilience and the defence of EU sovereignty by: (1) establishing a common EU understanding of transnational repression; (2) strengthening EU coordination, data collection and institutional response; (3) strengthening protection and support for victims of Transnational Repression; (4) preventing and responding to specific forms of Transnational Repression, (5) addressing structures that enable transnational repression, (6) strengthening deterrence and accountability, and (7) positioning the European Union as a global leader in countering transnational repression.