Terrorism: EU updates its strategy, focusing on minors and digital threats

Brussels – “The European Union is one of the safest places in the world,” says Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner. To maintain this position, the European Commission has adopted a series of initiatives against terrorism and violent extremism, which are part of the broader ProtectEU overarching strategy. The risks remain high, but “the nature of the threats has changed,” explains Executive Vice-President for Technological Sovereignty, Security and Democracy Henna Virkkunen, speaking on the sidelines of the EU College of Commissioners.

“Ten years ago, we witnessed devastating terrorist attacks in Brussels and, before that, in Paris. The threat of terrorism is not foreign to the rest of Europe either,” Virkkunen recalls. Today, however, it is digital technology, and in particular “the misuse of digital technologies,” that is redefining terrorist activity. Threats, “from social media and artificial intelligence to 3D-printed weapons and drones,” mainly affect minors: “The radicalisation of minors is on the rise and young people are increasingly targeted online.” 

Brunner warns: “Terrorists do not fight fairly: they exploit every weakness they find. The most worrying thing is that they target our children.” They use gaming platforms, encrypted chats, and social media to recruit, with an alarming statistic: “almost one in three suspected terrorists in the EU is under the age of 20”. In 2026, Brussels will consider revising the Regulation on terrorist content online and promises strict enforcement of the Digital Services Act. Cooperation with platforms has also been strengthened to “expedite the removal of terrorist content,” transforming the Crisis Protocol into a “EU Online Crisis Response Framework” to intervene “before a crisis fully emerges.”

There is also concern about “new geopolitical developments and the involvement of state and non-state actors.” The attacks by Hamas on 7 October 2023 and the conflict in Gaza have fuelled “hatred and incitement to violence,” exploited by jihadist and right-wing and left-wing extremists, increasing the risk of “attacks.” The Islamic State “remains one of the main external threats to the EU,” writes the European Commission in its press release, also in light of the instability in Syria and the “uncertain future of foreign terrorist fighters” detained in the north-east of the country.

The core of the strategy is to “improve situational awareness and early detection” by strengthening the Single Intelligence Analysis Capacity and the Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) of Europol resources. Investments are planned in “emerging technologies including AI, crypto-assets, drones, and 3D-printed weapons” and in prevention, defined as the “most effective long-term strategy”: €5 million will fund projects for “youth empowerment, digital resilience and community cohesion.” At the operational level, the EU is aiming for a “post-hit procedure” in the Schengen Information System, is considering extending passenger data to “private flights, maritime, and land transport,” and is allocating £30 million to protect critical infrastructure and public spaces.

Finally, tightening up on funding with a “future
EU Financial Data Retrieval System” and a roadmap on “legal and effective access to data” to ensure “faster and more coordinated investigations and prosecutions.” Europol and Eurojust’s external cooperation on counter-terrorism with third countries will also be stepped up, as will Europol’s cooperation with trusted partners to obtain data on individuals who pose a terrorist threat. Brussels also proposes to deepen cooperation with enlargement countries and partners in the Mediterranean region, including through the implementation of the Joint Action Plan to prevent and counter terrorism and violent extremism with the Western Balkans and the expansion of the Knowledge Hub’s activities in those countries. This is in line with the EU Council, which today adopted the reform of the EU sanctions against terrorism (“EU Terrorists List”).