Thematic Panel 7 - Global and Geopolitical Factors and Undesirable Foreign Influences

The 7th Thematic Panel, "Global and Geopolitical Factors and Undesirable Foreign Influences," examines the impact of external dynamics on terrorism, violent extremism, and radicalisation within the EU. It supports the EU’s ability to anticipate, prevent, and mitigate radicalisation by providing a platform for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers to analyse threats, assist DG HOME and Member States, and strengthen resilience in line with the Strategic Orientations 2024-2025.

Led by two co-leaders and supported by researchers and experts, the panel ensures a multidisciplinary approach to global radicalisation challenges. It also serves as a flexible platform to explore emerging geopolitical trends affecting extremism while coordinating with other thematic panels for a cohesive prevention strategy.

The 7th Thematic Panel serves as a hub for responding to emergent threats and geopolitical changes, addressing key global and geopolitical factors that significantly impact the EU's security landscape, including:

The Geopolitical Landscape and Radicalisation Risks
- The impact of global crises, conflicts, and political instability (e.g., the war in Ukraine, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and developments in the Sahel and West Africa) on extremism and radicalisation in the EU.
- The role of disinformation and propaganda, particularly state-sponsored narratives from external actors, in fuelling polarisation and radicalisation.
International Cooperation on Preventing Radicalisation
- Strengthening engagement with key third countries, including the Western Balkans, MENA region, the USA, the UK, and Norway, to exchange best practices and enhance joint responses to radicalisation threats.
- Enhancing cooperation with EU security and intelligence partners to monitor transnational extremist networks and foreign interference.
Undesirable Foreign Influence and Financial Flows
- Identifying and countering foreign-backed financial and ideological influences that challenge EU values, democratic principles, and the rule of law.
- Supporting Member States' resilience against malign financial flows, building on existing initiatives such as the Project-Based Collaboration on Undesirable Foreign Funding (led by France and the Netherlands).
- Raising awareness at the national and local levels, including among financial intelligence units and local actors, on the mechanisms and risks associated with foreign funding of radicalisation activities.
The Impact of Conflict on Extremism in Europe
- Addressing rising antisemitism, anti-immigrant sentiment, and extremist rhetoric resulting from global conflicts.
- Developing strategies to mitigate the polarisation of diaspora communities, particularly in light of the Sahel and West Africa’s evolving political and security dynamics.
- Strengthening efforts to combat online hate speech, extremist propaganda, and foreign disinformation exacerbating societal divisions.

In pursuit of its objectives, the panel will concentrate on actionable strategies consistent with the annual workplan to support the EU Member States and DG Home, namely:

Discussing and examining international partnerships to enhance third-country cooperation through capacity building, joint research, and policy alignment for more effective P-CVE efforts.
Assessing and proposing strategies to counter foreign interference by improving detection and prevention of disinformation, propaganda, and malign influence while supporting national resilience through knowledge sharing and training.
Examining and developing targeted approaches to address geopolitical hate speech, particularly antisemitism and anti-Muslim sentiment, linked to global conflicts.
Supporting EU coordination by strengthening information exchange and cooperation to counter foreign funding of extremist activities and safeguard democratic resilience.
Proposing and facilitating crisis response mechanisms to establish rapid response plans for geopolitical crises, focusing on crisis management, cross-border coordination, and mitigating extremist threats.

Strategic Role within the EU Knowledge Hub

The panel plays a key role in advising EU responses to geopolitical challenges, offering evidence-based recommendations to Member States and DG HOME. Through facilitating dialogue between researchers, policymakers, and practitioners, it contributes to Europe’s resilience against external radicalisation drivers and foreign influence. Its work will help shape coordinated EU-wide prevention strategies, ensuring adaptability to evolving threats while upholding democratic values and fundamental rights.

Thematic Panel 7 - Global and Geopolitical Factors and Undesirable Foreign Influences

Strategic Role within the EU Knowledge Hub

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