A degassing unit for an electronics housing is provided with a base body to be connected fluid-tightly to a rim of a pressure compensation opening of the electronics housing. The base body has at least one gas passage opening. A semipermeable membrane covers, in a normal operating state of the degassing unit, the at least one gas passage opening of the base body. The semipermeable membrane enables passage of gaseous media from an environment into the electronics housing and in reverse, but prevents passage of liquid media and/or solids. The degassing unit can be transferred into an emergency degassing state by release of at least one emergency degassing opening bypassing the semipermeable membrane for providing an emergency degassing gas path. A first monitoring device is provided for detecting whether the degassing unit is in the normal operating state and/or in the emergency degassing state.