These numbers are sourced from Europol’s European Union Terrorism Situation and Trend Report 2025 (TE-SAT), published today. This 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 and other Europol partners.Catherine De BolleEuropol Executive DirectorAs the TE-SAT report shows, terrorism and violent extremism are 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 getting involved in terrorist and violent extremist activities across the EU. Terrorist groups target vulnerable individuals, especially those struggling with mental health issues, social isolation or digital dependency. These threats are becoming increasingly complex, reminding us that the threat of terrorism within the EU is neither static nor distant.Magnus BrunnerEuropean Commissioner for Internal Affairs and MigrationThe TE-SAT clearly shows that 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. 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 we will strengthen our cooperation with the EU neighbourhood to better protect people in the EU. We will also continue working with online platforms to safeguard EU citizens from hatred and radicalisation—this is especially important for the most vulnerable, such as children.The threat of online communities inciting violenceAlmost 1 out of 3 suspects arrested for terrorism-related offences in 2024 was a minor or a young adult. The youngest offender was 12 years old, 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 8 and 17. Many of these violent groups have ideological connections with jihadist terrorism and violent right-wing extremism, occultism and satanism.Geopolitical developments impacting EU securityThe conflict in Gaza continued to have 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 Russian war of aggression against Ukraine was 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 2024 and the formation of a government led by the leader of Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) marked a significant shift with potential greater regional geopolitical implications in the medium and long term. 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, as well as the uncertain future for thousands of captives held in the prisons and camps now controlled by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). These factors are collectively a growing cause for concern about future threats to the EU security.Abuse of emerging technologiesThe use of generative AI to create and disseminate propaganda and hate speech has reached unprecedented levels, especially in the right-wing scene. End-to-end encrypted communication platforms also continued to provide secure channels for communication, coordination, recruitment, dissemination of propaganda and incitement to mobilisation and violence.

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