EU to strengthen measures against terrorism, extremism

The European Council has approved the first of two sets of conclusions on strengthening joint counterterrorism efforts.

“The fight against terrorism in the EU is a joint effort of all member states. From information sharing and border security to hindering terrorist financing and preventing radicalisation, EU countries have a range of common tools at their disposal to keep citizens safe,” said Hungary’s Minister of the Interior, Sándor Pintér, who currently holds the presidency in the European Council, Caliber.Az reports, citing the message posted on the European Council’s website. 

Terrorism and violent extremism continue to pose a significant threat to the EU and its member states. The conclusions set strategic goals and highlight key areas where increased efforts are needed to enhance operational efficiency. The aim of the conclusions is to shape EU counterterrorism policies and measures for the next five years.

To further enhance counterterrorism measures, on December 16, 2024 the Council will approve conclusions on reinforcing external-internal connections in the fight against terrorism and violent extremism. In the Council conclusions, member states note that global unrest has heightened the terrorism threat level in some member states. Those external conflicts have contributed to intensifying radicalisation and social polarisation across the Union, which may in turn potentially lead to terrorism and violent extremism. 

The Council calls on member states to enhance their preparedness and response capabilities in order to prevent terrorist and violent extremist attacks. The conclusions highlight three key areas of intervention for strengthening counterterrorism efforts: information exchange; detecting and preventing the infiltration of persons posing a terrorist threat; and countering terrorism and violent extremism online.

By Naila Huseynova