Dear all,
I want to share a brief update on where things stand with CSAR.
The negotiations remain highly opaque, and based on what we know so far, the emerging deal may be the best that can realistically be achieved. However, it now appears that detection on text messages and audio messages has been reintroduced, which is deeply concerning.
We are increasingly worried that this may be pushed through in COREPER already this Wednesday rather than being decided at Council level. Given how controversial the proposal is, a COREPER decision would be inappropriate. This could itself become a reason to oppose the Council position, which is already weak. The latest intel also suggests that they may reach a deal tomorrow.
We understand that DGHOME is against the current compromise, primarily because it relies on voluntary scanning instead of detection orders. The overall picture is extremely complex, and at this stage we are uncertain whether we should oppose the proposal, or whether recommending others to oppose would be the right approach.
We had initially planned to remain silent, but due to the rapid and unclear changes in the negotiations, we do not currently know what the text contains. This leaves us in a position of uncertainty.
Looking ahead, the upcoming Cyprus Presidency brings its own risks. There are concerns about capacity, and if they cannot staff all positions, the Commission may end up with disproportionate influence during the next phase.
We have also heard rumors that Hungary and Spain may oppose the proposal because it has been weakened to the point where they cannot support it. At the same time, we cannot rule out that this may be the best deal we will get.
Our position remains:
*Voluntary must mean truly voluntary *CSS must be clearly ruled out *There must be no mandatory age verification
We also note that the Council may attempt a partial General Approach before trilogues.
Finally, we recognise that coordination with Patrick and Joachim’s campaign is necessary, but this has been a source of frustration, and it is unclear whether such coordination is realistically achievable at this stage.
I will continue following developments closely and will provide updates as soon as we have more clarity.
Best regards, Tom Fredrik Blenning
Hi Tom Fredrik,
Thank you for the update. It is much appreciated, I haven't been able to follow this much otherwise.
If you hear something about what happened in COREPER today, I would very much like to hear about it, too.
Best,
Tapani
On Tue, Nov 25, 2025 at 02:28:40PM +0100, Tom Fredrik Blenning via Csar (csar@mailman.efn.no) wrote:
Dear all,
I want to share a brief update on where things stand with CSAR.
The negotiations remain highly opaque, and based on what we know so far, the emerging deal may be the best that can realistically be achieved. However, it now appears that detection on text messages and audio messages has been reintroduced, which is deeply concerning.
We are increasingly worried that this may be pushed through in COREPER already this Wednesday rather than being decided at Council level. Given how controversial the proposal is, a COREPER decision would be inappropriate. This could itself become a reason to oppose the Council position, which is already weak. The latest intel also suggests that they may reach a deal tomorrow.
We understand that DGHOME is against the current compromise, primarily because it relies on voluntary scanning instead of detection orders. The overall picture is extremely complex, and at this stage we are uncertain whether we should oppose the proposal, or whether recommending others to oppose would be the right approach.
We had initially planned to remain silent, but due to the rapid and unclear changes in the negotiations, we do not currently know what the text contains. This leaves us in a position of uncertainty.
Looking ahead, the upcoming Cyprus Presidency brings its own risks. There are concerns about capacity, and if they cannot staff all positions, the Commission may end up with disproportionate influence during the next phase.
We have also heard rumors that Hungary and Spain may oppose the proposal because it has been weakened to the point where they cannot support it. At the same time, we cannot rule out that this may be the best deal we will get.
Our position remains:
*Voluntary must mean truly voluntary *CSS must be clearly ruled out *There must be no mandatory age verification
We also note that the Council may attempt a partial General Approach before trilogues.
Finally, we recognise that coordination with Patrick and Joachim’s campaign is necessary, but this has been a source of frustration, and it is unclear whether such coordination is realistically achievable at this stage.
I will continue following developments closely and will provide updates as soon as we have more clarity.
Best regards, Tom Fredrik Blenning