In July, the EU’s law enforcement agency EUROPOL published the latest edition of the TE-SAT (European Union Terrorism Situation and Trend) report. The report has been prepared by EUROPOL, based on contributions from EU Member States and several EUROPOL partners.
The report presents a comprehensive overview of the completed and failed terrorist attacks against EU Member States and outlines the main trends related to terrorism. Five different kinds of terrorism are differentiated in the report – religious terrorism; ethno-nationalist terrorism; left-wing and anarchist terrorism; right-wing terrorism; and single-issue terrorism.
According to the report, the overall threat to EU security is likely to continue to increase in the future. Given the persisting situations in Syria and Iraq, EUROPOL speculates that a number of EU Member States will remain prone to harassment, hate-filled rhetoric and unprovoked, opportunistic attacks towards Muslims and Muslim institutions by right-wing extremists.
The report highlights that the Islamic State and al-Qaeda affiliated groups possess the capability and resources to carry out attacks against EU Member States. As increasingly more European individuals become affiliated with these groups, networks are created, which make pragmatic cooperation more likely. The objective of pursuing a “global jihad”, inspired by the actions of international terrorist groups, is likely to remain.