On 12 December 2024, Europol published its EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (EU TE-SAT). The report provides a detailed overview of the evolving terrorism landscape in the European Union in 2023: jihadist, right-wing/left-wing and anarchist terrorism, ethno-nationalist and separatist terrorism as well as other forms of terrorism and extremism. It also provides an outlook on potential developments. For the editions of previous years →eucrim 2/2023, 146 and →eucrim 2/2022, 111, each with further references.

In 2023, the terrorist attack by Hamas against Israel on 7 October 2023 and the ensuing Israeli military response in Gaza was a devastating event that generated additional movements in all violent extremist and terrorist ideological scenes. Furthermore, developments in Artificial Intelligence and other technological innovations are being added to the toolbox used by terrorists and violent extremists to amplify their messages and facilitate their operations. Large Language Models (LLMs) and deepfakes are being exploited to create false identities, spread disinformation, and bolster propaganda campaigns.

In 2023, a total of 120 terrorist attacks (98 completed, 9 failed, and 13 foiled) were carried out in seven EU Member States, marking an increase compared to previous years. 70 completed terrorist attacks were perpetrated by separatist terrorists and 23 completed terrorist attacks were perpetrated by left-wing and anarchist actors. Of the 14 jihadist terrorist attacks, five were completed and were also the most lethal, with six victims killed and twelve injured. Two right-wing terrorist attacks were foiled. EU law enforcement authorities arrested 426 suspects for terrorism-related offences (compared to 380 in 2023) in 22 EU Member States, of which 334 were related to jihadist terrorism. 290 convictions and 68 acquittals for terrorist offences were passed by courts in the EU Member States.

Looking at the different types of terrorism, the report finds that jihadist terrorism is a key security concern for the EU, arising from a fragmented landscape of foreign terrorist groups, online networks, and individual actors. Right-wing terrorism is seen as a dynamic threat, with lone actors or small groups posing the highest threat and new right-wing violent extremist groups emerging online and seeking to act in real life.

A notable new development is the purchase of 3-D printed materials, with individuals from a variety of ideological backgrounds actively seeking online training materials and instruction manuals that contain attack tactics and information on how to make weapons, drones, bombs, and chemical weapons.