ENoMW Letter – July 16, 2026
The European Network of Migrant Women informed LIBE, FEMM, AFET committees as well as the Delegation to the EU–Ukraine Parliamentary Association Committee of the issue and respectfully asks the European Parliament to call on the Verkhovna Rada to reject Bill No. 15294 at second reading and request an assessment of the bill’s compatibility with Ukraine’s accession commitments.
Although presented as legislation to strengthen criminal liability for child sexual abuse material, the bill introduces a broad policy change to decriminalise the import, production, storage, and distribution of so-called “adult” pornography. This legislation creates a legal basis for commercial production while providing no comprehensive regulatory or protective system to address trafficking in human beings, sexual exploitation, or the liability of platforms and legal persons.
Such an approach is inconsistent with the direction and specific requirements of the relevant EU acquis, including directives on trafficking and combating violence against women. Opening a commercial market without corresponding detection and accountability mechanisms risks undermining fundamental rights concerning human dignity, equality between women and men, and the rights of the child.
The timing of this decision is particularly disturbing, as Ukraine is facing a demographic crisis and its displaced women face elevated risks of trafficking and sexual exploitation due to the war. Furthermore, decriminalising commercial pornography without strict duties concerning the provenance of material could facilitate the monetisation of material connected to grave human rights violations and international crimes.
ENoMW Calls on the European Parliament
The European Network of Migrant Women respectfully asks the European Parliament to call on the Verkhovna Rada to reject Bill No. 15294 at second reading and request an assessment of the bill’s compatibility with Ukraine’s accession commitments.
Ukraine’s European integration must strengthen the protection of women and children rather than legitimise a commercial industry without first establishing the necessary safeguards and victim protections.