The European Parliament this week reignited its calls for accountability over the unlawful use of surveillance software such as Predator and Pegasus, nearly two years after the findings of its special investigative PEGA Committee exposed widespread misuse across the European Union.
Meeting in plenary session in Strasbourg, lawmakers voiced growing alarm over the persistent deployment of spyware technologies by state and private actors, particularly their use against journalists, opposition figures, and civil society members. The debate, officially titled “Illegal Use of Spyware,” included remarks from European Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen and Poland’s Minister for European Affairs, Adam Szłapka, who was present in his capacity as representative of the current EU Council Presidency.
Szłapka emphasized the fundamental need to protect press freedom, warning that unchecked surveillance poses a significant threat to democracy and the rule of law. He stated that all EU member states carry a clear obligation to investigate illegal wiretapping and spyware use in line with both national and European legal frameworks.
In her speech, Virkkunen condemned the use of spyware to target journalists, political figures, and ordinary citizens, calling such practices unacceptable in a democratic society. She noted that the European Commission has begun tracking spyware-related abuses as part of its annual Rule of Law reports. She also pointed to the upcoming Media Freedom Act, which is set to enter into force in August, as a key tool for strengthening legal protections for media professionals and press freedom more broadly. “Personal data must be protected with transparency and full compliance with EU rules,” she said, urging member states to fulfill their commitments and adopt meaningful reforms.
Yet criticism of the Commission’s efforts came swiftly. Jeroen Lenaers, a member of the center-right European People’s Party, accused Brussels of complacency, arguing that national security concerns are too often used as a shield for circumventing the rule of law. He called for independent oversight bodies to review surveillance-related cases to ensure impartiality.
The debate grew more intense with a pointed intervention from Greek left-wing MEP Kostas Arvanitis, who accused the Greek government of orchestrating a cover-up in the Predator spyware scandal. He described the ongoing judicial investigation in Greece as a “constitutional parody,” alleging that the country’s top prosecutor excluded the National Intelligence Service (EYP)—which operates under the Prime Minister’s authority—from any responsibility. Arvanitis highlighted that 27 individuals, including ministers and journalists, had been simultaneously surveilled using both Predator spyware and official EYP orders, a circumstance the prosecutor reportedly dismissed as a coincidence.
While investigators identified the private actors behind the spyware operation, charges were limited to minor offenses. According to Arvanitis, this was a deliberate move to avoid felony indictments that would have triggered the involvement of an investigative magistrate, thereby allowing the scandal to be swept under the rug without undergoing proper judicial scrutiny.
The Parliament’s session made clear that concern over spyware abuse is not waning. From across the political spectrum, MEPs stressed the urgent need for stronger legal safeguards, increased transparency, and binding accountability mechanisms to prevent the erosion of democratic principles within the EU.
