In a written answer on 15 June 2026, Commissioner for Equality Helena Lahbib detailed the European Commission's approach to enhancing safety, dignity, and data protection for victims of online gender-based violence (GBV), while warning that the Commission will launch infringement procedures against Member States that fail to transpose the Violence Against Women (VAW) Directive by the 14 June 2027 deadline.
The answer responds to a parliamentary question from Nikos Pappas (The Left, Greece), who raised concerns about non-consensual sharing of intimate or AI-manipulated material and the risk of secondary victimisation during legal proceedings. Lahbib's response reaffirms existing legal frameworks: the Victims' Rights Directive requires Member States to protect victims' privacy during criminal proceedings, while the Law Enforcement Directive (2016/680) governs data processing by authorities. The VAW Directive (2024/1385) criminalises the most serious forms of cyberviolence and mandates rapid removal of illegal content, with the Digital Services Act applying to such content once the directive is transposed. Lahbib also noted that EU co-legislators have agreed to introduce a prohibition in the AI Act on AI systems that generate non-consensual intimate content.
The answer contains concrete commitments: the Commission will support Member States in transposition and will not hesitate to launch infringement procedures for non-compliance. It also requires the Commission to evaluate the directive's impact by 2032 and consider expanding its scope. The policy orientation is towards stronger enforcement and harmonisation, with potential future expansion of the directive's measures. Institutional follow-up includes monitoring transposition and possible infringement cases, with the next major deadline being June 2027.