The European Parliament's Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) committee on 24 June 2026 debated two major security and justice programmes: the Pericles 5 programme for euro protection (2028-2034) and the Internal Security Fund (ISF) regulation. MEPs on both files staked out divergent positions on scope, governance, and funding priorities, with the Commission pushing back on several proposed expansions.
On Pericles 5, rapporteur Niels Geuking (via chair Lena Düpont, EPP) proposed amendments focusing on cash accessibility, AI threats, and a delegated act for work programmes. Tomáš Zdechovský (EPP) praised the programme's cooperation model. However, Birgit Sippel (S&D, reading for Sander Rutten) and Fabrice Leggeri (PfE) both questioned extending the scope to money laundering given the limited €7 million budget. The Commission's Luca Pierini pushed back on delegated acts and money laundering inclusion, arguing it would defocus efforts. The debate revealed a cleavage between those seeking to broaden the programme's remit and those favouring a focused mandate, with the Commission siding with the latter. Next steps: amendments for Pericles 5 are due 30 June.
On the ISF, rapporteur Assita Kanko (ECR) presented a draft report adding a fundamental rights article, a hybrid threat definition, and victim support. Lena Düpont (EPP) stressed cross-border cooperation and critical infrastructure. Kristian Vigenin (S&D) called for inclusion of AI misuse, environmental crime, and stronger democratic scrutiny. Petra Steger (PfE, read by Leggeri) emphasised subsidiarity and the migration-security link. Tineke Strik (Greens/EFA) proposed excluding funding for pushback technologies and spyware. The Commission did not intervene substantively on ISF. Amendments have already been tabled.
on Pericles 5, the main split was between EPP's support for delegated acts and the Commission's resistance, while on ISF, the Greens/EFA pushed for exclusion of certain technologies, contrasting with PfE's focus on security. The limited budget of Pericles 5 (€7 million) raised concerns about overstretching. Stakeholders affected include law enforcement agencies, central banks, Europol, Eurojust, member states, and victims of crime. The committee will continue work on both files in the coming weeks.