NEWS ROUND-UP
Europol steps up fight against terror
A total of 58 terrorist attacks were reported by fourteen EU Member States in 2024, according to Europol’s’ European Union Terrorism Situation and Trends Report 2025 which has just been published.
Of these, thirty-four were completed, five were failed and 19 were foiled. It emerges that overall, 449 individuals were arrested for terrorism-related offences across twenty Member States.
The flagship report – the only one of its kind in Europe - describes the major developments and trends in the terrorism landscape in the EU in 2024 based on qualitative and quantitative information provided by EU Member States in addition to other Europol partners.
Catherine De Bolle, executive director at Europol, observed: “Combating terrorism and violent extremism are both high priorities for EU Member States. The tense geopolitical context has continued to amplify violent extremist narratives, driving radicalisation within the EU."
“We’ve also seen a worrying rise in the number of minors and young people becoming involved in terrorist and violent extremist activities across the EU.”
De Bolle continued: “Terrorist groups target vulnerable individuals, notably so those struggling with mental health issues, social isolation or digital dependency. These threats are becoming increasingly complex, reminding us all that the threat of terrorism within the EU is neither static nor distant.”
Magnus Brunner, the European Commissioner for internal affairs and migration, said: “Terrorism and violent extremism remain serious threats. We must be particularly vigilant about the radicalisation of young people and the exploitation of online platforms by terrorists and extremists. Our Terrorist Content Online Regulation is already making a difference, helping us swiftly remove terrorist and extremist content.”
Brunner added: “In ProtectEU, we have outlined further plans to counter these and other threats more effectively. Later this year, we will present a new Counter-Terrorism Agenda, adapted to today’s challenges, and strengthen our co-operation with the EU neighbourhood. We will also continue working with online platforms to safeguard EU citizens from hatred and radicalisation.”
Almost one in every three suspects arrested for terrorism-related offences in 2024 was a minor or a young adult. The youngest offender was 12 years old, who was arrested for planning to commit an attack.
Some recent cases of murder and attacks have been linked to online cult communities leveraging digital platforms to share and normalise extreme cruelty, extort victims and radicalise young individuals into performing acts of violence. The members of these groups specifically target vulnerable minors, on average aged between eight and 17.
Many of these violent groups have ideological connections with Jihadist terrorism and violent right-wing extremism, occultism and satanism.
The conflict in Gaza has continued to exert a major impact on the terrorist threat in the EU. There were numerous attacks and calls to violence across the entire ideological spectrum. Online terrorist and violent extremist propaganda instrumentalised the conflict and ignited hatred, with anti-Semitism being a common denominator in both, the report says.
The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine is another driving factor for the spread of violent extremist narratives, radicalisation and mobilisation.
In Syria, the collapse of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in early December and the formation of a Government led by the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) marked a significant shift, with the potential for greater regional geopolitical implications in the medium and longer terms.
Concerns are growing around the new leadership’s ability to fight terrorism, reports of radicalised violent extremists expressing their willingness to travel to the region and the uncertain future for thousands of captives held in the prisons and camps now controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces. Collectively, these factors are a growing cause for concern about future threats to the EU’s security.
The use of generative Artificial Intelligence to create and disseminate propaganda and hate speech has reached unprecedented levels. End-to-end encrypted communication platforms have also continued to provide secure channels for communication, co-ordination and recruitment, the dissemination of propaganda and incitement to mobilisation and violence.
