European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism: 20 years since the Madrid attacks

On 11 March, Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas and Commissioner for Home Affairs, Ylva Johansson, together with King Felipe and Queen Leticia of Spain, and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, attended the ceremony of the 20th EU Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism in Madrid organised by the Commission.

This Day was established after the Madrid bombings of 11 March 2004. Each year since, the EU remembers the victims of terrorism worldwide. Above all, the ceremony is an opportunity to listen to the testimonies of victims and survivors, whose voices are powerful tools in the fight against terrorism and radicalisation.

“On the European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism we honor the memory of all those who have tragically fallen victims to terrorist acts, whether on EU soil or beyond our borders. This year holds particular significance as we mark the commemoration of the attack in Madrid two decades ago. The memory of the victims will live on. It will serve as a poignant reminder of the enduring impact of terrorism.” Commission Statement on the European Remembrance Day for Victims of Terrorism

The European Union is committed to combat terrorism and support the victims of terrorist attacks. In 2020, a Counter-Terrorism Agenda was adopted to set actions to counter terrorism at EU level, and to better anticipate, prevent, protect and respond to terrorist threats.

Progress has been made in different areas including addressing the dissemination of terrorist content online. Removing this content, for instance footage from past attacks published online, is crucial for protecting victims' dignity and from preventing radicalisation. Since June 2022 the Terrorist Content Online Regulation, which allows Member States to send removal orders for terrorist content to online platforms, is fully applicable. As of December 2023, more than 300 removal orders have been issued.;

In its commitment to ensure full rights for victims and survivors, the Commission has developed a legal framework, including the Victims’ Rights Directive, the Directive on Combating Terrorism and the EU Strategy on victims’ rights (2020-2025).

Find out more:

Counter terrorism and radicalisation

The 20th European Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Terrorism