EuroWire, BRUSSELS: The European Commission on Feb. 26 presented a new ProtectEU agenda aimed at preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism, setting out steps to strengthen the bloc’s preparedness and response across six areas, from intelligence analysis to online safety and international cooperation. The Commission said the agenda is designed to address threats that increasingly span both digital and physical spaces, while noting that EU member states remain responsible for national security and that EU action is intended to support and coordinate cross-border efforts.
The Commission said the EU has seen fewer large-scale coordinated attacks in recent years but that the threat has evolved. It cited figures showing terrorist incidents rising from 57 in 2019 to 120 in 2023 before falling to 58 in 2024, with recent attacks often linked to lone actors or small cells. The Commission said jihadist terrorism remains the most prominent and lethal threat, while other motivations include hatred and anti-democratic ideologies. It also said almost one-third of terrorist suspects in 2024 were under 20, with the youngest aged 12.
Measures under the agenda include boosting intelligence analysis at EU level through the Single Intelligence Analysis Capacity and reinforcing Europol’s analytical support, including open-source intelligence. The Commission also outlined plans to strengthen security research on emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, crypto-assets, drones and 3D-printed weapons, using EU research and internal security funding. On prevention, it said a Prevention Toolbox will be developed through the EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation, alongside a 5 million euro Community Engagement and Empowerment Programme focused on early prevention.
Online And Public Space Protections
On online threats, the Commission pointed to the EU’s Terrorist Content Online rules as a key tool for rapid removal of terrorist material, and said that by December 2025 national authorities had sent 2,032 removal orders and made more than 97,900 referrals for voluntary removal. It said it will conclude an evaluation of the regulation by the end of 2026 and then explore strengthening and simplifying it while keeping safeguards for fundamental rights. The Commission also said it will enforce the Digital Services Act and support voluntary cooperation with platforms through the EU Internet Forum.
The agenda includes upgrading the EU Crisis Protocol into an EU Online Crisis Response Framework and anchoring it in the Digital Services Act’s crisis provisions, to improve coordination between law enforcement and online service providers after attacks with major online impact. The Commission said Europol will develop a European hash-sharing database to help securely flag and match terrorist and violent extremist content across platforms and will establish a crisis response platform to support operational coordination. It also highlighted planned work to monitor extremist misuse of online services, including gaming platforms.
Financing Data And Firearms Crackdown
For threats in the physical environment, the Commission said it will work to improve information-sharing on terrorism-related alerts and propose a way forward on a “post-hit procedure” linked to an evaluation of the Schengen Information System. It said it will explore expanding the EU framework on advance travel information beyond commercial air transport to cover private flights as well as maritime and land travel. The Commission also said it will invest 30 million euros in projects to improve security of public spaces and will strengthen the EU Protective Security Advisory Programme to help member states assess vulnerabilities in public spaces and critical infrastructure.
On response capabilities, the Commission said it will step up efforts to track terrorist financing, including through cryptocurrencies and online payments, and will launch a study in early 2026 toward an EU-wide Financial Data Retrieval System intended to enable retrieval of financial data for tracking terrorist financing and organised crime proceeds. It said the system is to cover intra-EU and Single European Payment Area transactions and crypto-assets and is intended to be established by 2030. The agenda also sets out plans to implement an EU roadmap on lawful and effective access to data and to propose revisions to Europol and Eurojust mandates to strengthen operational and judicial support.
The Commission said the agenda also prioritises cooperation with international partners, including strengthening Europol and Eurojust external cooperation and deepening work with enlargement partners and partners in the Mediterranean region, including implementation of a Western Balkans joint action plan. Alongside the agenda, the Commission presented a proposal for EU-wide rules to combat firearms trafficking and other firearms-related offences, including common definitions and penalties, national firearms focal points and improved data collection on seized weapons.