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    • Prevention of radicalisation

    • 26 February 2026

    Radicalisation is a phased and complex process in which an individual or a group embraces a radical ideology or belief that accepts, uses or condones violence, including acts of terrorism, to reach a specific political or ideological purpose. 

    While radicalisation is not a new phenomenon, the trends, means and patterns of radicalisation evolve and responses have to be adapted. Home-grown lone actors and (returning) foreign terrorist fighters raise security issues and specific challenges for prevent work. Internet platforms, including social media, can be abused by violent extremists, terrorist groups and their sympathisers by providing new opportunities for mobilisation, recruitment and communication.

    Preventing radicalisation

    Preventing radicalisation remains the most effective long-term strategy to counter terrorism and violent extremism. The 2026 Agenda strengthens early prevention, resilience and targeted support for those most at risk through a whole-of-society approach. 

    To support Member States, the Commission focuses on: 

    • The EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation, established in 2024 with €60 million in funding, connecting over 6,000 practitioners and policymakers and providing guidance, tools, training and tailored operational support. 

    • A Prevention Toolbox for Minors, which will be created to offer practical models for early detection, resilience through education and social integration, safe online engagement, and cooperation with mental health services and families. 

    • The EUR 5 million Community Engagement and Empowerment Programme (CEEP), strengthening civil society capacity, digital resilience and youth engagement in prevention. 

    • Addressing radicalisation in prisons and managing prison leavers and returning Foreign Terrorist Fighters, including common risk assessment tools and support for disengagement and reintegration programmes. 

    • Supporting victims of terrorism, including strengthened rights and enhanced recognition of victims’ role in prevention. 

    Terrorist content online

    The continued presence of terrorist content on the web is a serious risk for security of citizens and to society at large. Terrorists misuse the internet to spread their messages to intimidate, radicalise, recruit, and facilitate carrying out terrorist attacks. To tackle this threat, the European Commission put forward a legislative proposal in 2018 for a Regulation to address the dissemination of terrorist content online, which was adopted by the European Parliament in April 2021. The Regulation sets clear and transparent rules applicable to online platforms established in the EU to ensure that:

    • when terrorist content is identified, it is taken down within the hour,
    • online platforms take measures to ensure that their services cannot be misused.

    Strong safeguards are put in place to ensure that freedom of speech is protected. Learn more about the key elements of the regulation from the following factsheet:

    The European Commission is also working in a voluntary public-private partnership with the tech industry to tackle new and emerging challenges under the EU Internet Forum.

    Radicalisation in prisons, rehabilitation and reintegration

    Managing terrorist and radicalised offenders is a priority for both EU Member States and the Commission. Recent years have seen an increase in the number of offenders convicted for terrorism related offences across the EU, as well of those convicted of other offenses, but radicalised in prison.

    In recent years, EU Member States have put a number of measures in place, including risk assessment tools, special detention regimes, rehabilitation and reintegration programmes, trainings for prison and probation staff and structures for information exchange and multidisciplinary cooperation for management of ex-offenders after release. This work is supported by the Commission through project based collaboration between Member States, to address challenges related to radicalisation in prison, such as adapting prevent work to gender, addressing mental health issues and the religious dimension in rehabilitation programmes.

    The European Commission supports the work of EU Member States through specialised funding programmes and networks.

    EU Networks

    To strengthen cooperation and the exchange of knowledge and practices between the different stakeholders taking part in the prevention of radicalisation and violent extremism, the Commission established a number of networks.

    Networks involving the Commission

    EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation

    The EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation brings together practitioners, policymakers and researchers working on prevention across Europe and in priority third countries. The creation of the Hub is outlined in the EU Counter-Terrorism Agenda 2020. It supports the development and implementation of policies and strategies based on shared knowledge and expertise. It fosters collaboration among stakeholders to address the challenges of radicalisation, emphasising an integrated, policy-driven approach and a whole-of-society perspective.

    EU Internet Forum

    The EU Internet Forum brings together the European Commission, EU and EFTA Member States, internet industry and Europol. Its main objective is to tackle illegal content online, in particular:

    Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN)

    The Radicalisation Awareness Network (RAN) was an EU-wide umbrella network connecting key first-line practitioners and field experts, before it was succeeded by the EU Knowledge Hub on the Prevention of Radicalisation.  

    Network of prevent policy makers on radicalisation

    The Network of prevent policy makers on radicalisation provides advice and expertise to the Commission in relation to the development of closer cooperation at EU level on EU prevent policy. This is done through the exchange of expertise and experiences, the implementation by Member States, at national, regional and local level, of EU prevent policy and through the exchange of expertise and experiences, project-based collaboration, study visits and voluntary peer reviews.

    Other networks

    European Strategic Communications Network (ESCN)

    The European Strategic Communications Network (ESCN 2015-2019) was a network of EU countries, funded by the European Commission, which collaborated to share analysis, good practice and ideas on the sustainable use of strategic communications in countering violent extremism.

    European Organisation for Prisons and Correctional Services (EuroPris)

    The European Organisation of Prison and Correctional Services (EuroPris) is a non-political, non-governmental organisation founded in 2011. The initiative to establish EuroPris happened during the Swedish EU Presidency in 2009 and was brought forward by the European countries of the International Roundtable for Correctional Excellence.

    European Prison Training Academies (EPTA)

    The European Prison Training Academies (EPTA) was initiated in November 2008 at the French National Correctional Administration Academy (ENAP). It gathers training academies of Europe and promotes the exchange of good practices and debates on specific issues related to correctional training.

    European Judicial Training Network

    The European Judicial Training Network (EJTN) is the principal platform and promoter for the training and exchange of knowledge of the European judiciary. EJTN represents the interests of over 120,000 European judges, prosecutors and judicial trainers across Europe.

    Project collaboration
    Project based collaborations

    The Project Based Collaborations are projects led by EU countries, with the support of the European Commission, to foster exchange and cooperation on priority topics on prevention of radicalisation.

    Victims
    Victims of terrorism

    Victims of terrorism deserve special attention and support at national and EU level. This is done through specific laws, networks and cooperation with partner countries and international organisations.

    Terrorist content online

    Terrorists use the internet to radicalize, recruit, and facilitate carrying out terrorist attacks. The European Commission has put forward a series of voluntary and legislative measures and initiatives to help prevent this.

    EU Knowledge Hub on Prevention of Radicalisation

    The Hub's objective is to promote a coordinated EU-level approach and offer concrete services and products to assist experts in Member States and priority third countries in their efforts to prevent radicalisation and counter violent extremism.