On 26 May, the European Union signed the Protocol amending the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism, marking a historic step towards a common pan-European definition of terrorist offences.

The Protocol amends the definition of “terrorist offences” in the Council of Europe Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism. It introduces a pan-European legal definition of terrorist offences, defining what constitutes terrorism among Council of Europe States. This is the first agreement on a common definition of terrorism at regional level, making it a historical moment for global counter-terrorism efforts. This definition is fully compatible with the EU definition of “terrorist offences” as set out in the Directive on combating terrorism.

Once in force, the Protocol will serve as a strong baseline for the regional prevention of terrorism efforts, as well as for international cooperation. A harmonised definition will enhance judicial cooperation by facilitating the issuance of mutual legal assistance and extradition requests for terrorism cases among Council of Europe members that become Parties to both the Protocol and the Convention.

The European Commission, acting on a mandate from the Council, negotiated on behalf of the Union alongside EU member states. The Protocol was signed on behalf of the Union by the EU Ambassador to the Council of Europe, Ms. Vesna Kos, at the signature ceremony held by Council of Europe in Strasbourg.

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ProtectEU – the European Internal Security Strategy

Counter-terrorism and radicalization