Commission boosts its support to Member States in their fight against violent radicalisation

Today the Commission has earmarked up to €30 million for the next four years to support Member States in their fight against violent radicalisation. This funding comes on top of the € 30 million for the support to first line practitioners awarded last year within the Radicalisation Awareness Network, created in 2011.

Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, said: “Recent terrorist attacks in Europe have shown once again the extent of the threat we face from all forms of terrorism. Prevention remains central to EU Member States efforts to keep people safe and societies resilient. The EU remains fully committed to supporting this work against radicalisation, as this funding shows.”

By steering these two service contracts, the Commission will complement the support provided through various EU funding programmes and will better coordinate and streamline its initiatives within a more structured, sustainable and evidence-based framework. The aim is to better tackle challenges like the spread of violent extremist ideologies online and offline, polarisation in local communities, the management of foreign terrorist fighters and their families, radicalisation in prisons and rehabilitation of ex-offenders.

Background

Since 2011, the Commission supports first line practitioners via the Radicalisation Awareness Network, by bringing them together to exchange expertise and to equip them with the skills and confidence to address the challenge of radicalisation. To date, the RAN connects 6500 practitioners across the EU.

Following the recommendations of the High-Level Commission Expert Group on Radicalisation established in 2017 to help developing a more impactful response to radicalisation, the Commission facilitates strategic exchanges among Member States to discuss and implement actions to fight violent extremism. These actions now have a devoted financial framework which will provide a reinforced and more targeted support through workshops, study visits and counselling services, including on strategic communications and research.