{"id":31211,"date":"2017-04-06T11:00:09","date_gmt":"2017-04-06T01:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=31211"},"modified":"2017-04-05T10:41:31","modified_gmt":"2017-04-05T00:41:31","slug":"counterterrorism-yearbook-2017-europe","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/counterterrorism-yearbook-2017-europe\/","title":{"rendered":"The Counterterrorism Yearbook 2017: Europe"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/p>\n
2016 proved to be a busy year for CT in Europe as the number of jihadi<\/em>-related attacks increased and the nature of the threat evolved, with most plots involving \u2018home grown\u2019 radicalised individuals, as opposed to foreign fighters.<\/p>\n While EU member states have CT strategies in place, the attacks in 2015 and 2016 created a new sense of urgency. France adopted its Action Plan against Terrorism and Radicalisation<\/a> in May\u2014six months after the Paris attacks and six weeks after the Brussels attacks. Belgium\u2019s 2015 \u201830 measures\u2019 action plan was largely implemented, and complemented in 2016 by new measures to improve interagency coordination necessary for a federal state. German Chancellor Merkel announced her \u2018nine-point security plan\u2019<\/a> a few days after the attacks in W\u00fcrzburg and Ansbach, and Germany adopted a new strategy in to prevent violent extremism. Other countries such as Sweden and Denmark had already adopted similar action plans.<\/p>\n The unprecedented demands on law enforcement and security services led some governments to announce additional CT resources. France hired 7,500\u00a0new justice and home affairs staff in 2015\u201316 as part of around \u20ac900\u00a0million committed to CT, and 650\u00a0additional domestic intelligence positions were announced for 2016\u201317. Belgium similarly pledged an additional \u20ac400\u00a0million for CT after the Paris attacks and committed to recruiting 1,000\u00a0new staff. Germany announced similar measures following the summer attacks.<\/p>\n New CT laws were progressed in the most affected countries. The French and German judicial frameworks were amended to reinforce security services\u2019 operational capability, including expanding the use of special investigation techniques such as wiretapping. France also introduced longer prison sentences for terrorists\u2014including possible imprisonment in perpetuity\u2014while Belgium is seeking to revise its constitution to lengthen administrative detention from 24\u00a0to 72\u00a0hours for terrorism. More stringent measures were taken against hate speech, with Belgium outlawing websites preaching hate and France criminalising the consultation of jihadi<\/em> websites.<\/p>\n At the EU, the unprecedented threat level enabled some major breakthroughs, particularly in police and intelligence cooperation. The G11 group of most affected countries played a key role in CT coordination. Initiated by Belgium in 2013, the G11 now meets informally before meetings of the 28\u00a0EU ministers of justice and home affairs.<\/p>\n EU priorities included encouraging effective information sharing among members supported by enhanced data collection, improving cooperation between the European Agendas on Security and\u00a0 Immigration and reinforcing the EU\u2019s external borders by establishing the European Border and Coast Guard Agency<\/a>.<\/p>\n Members agreed to enhance intelligence cooperation through the informal Counter Terrorism Group (CTG), which brings together the heads of European intelligence services. Under Dutch leadership, the group agreed to further standardise and systematise the exchange of information.<\/p>\n The most notable operational development was the launch of the European Counter Terrorism Centre<\/a> (ECTC) \u00a0bringing together representatives from Europol and EU member states to enhance CT cooperation. The support for this significant development was enhanced by the perceived added value of Europol\u2019s Task Force Fraternit\u00e9, established to investigate international aspects of the jihadist network behind the Paris and Brussels attacks.<\/p>\n