On 13 July 2026, Europol published its EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report 2026 (EU TE-SAT). The report provides a comprehensive situational overview of terrorism across EU Member States in 2025, covering jihadist, right-wing, left-wing and anarchist, ethno-nationalist, and separatist terrorism, as well as other forms of terrorism and violent extremism. It also examines emerging developments, including the increasing role of online ecosystems, the involvement of minors and youths as well as the growing overlap between terrorism, violent extremism, and other forms of criminality. For the editions from previous years →eucrim 2/2025 and →eucrim 4/2024, 286, each with further references.

Examining the figures:

• A total of 45 terrorist attacks were reported in ten EU Member States in 2025. Of these, 22 had been completed, three had failed, and 20 had been foiled. This marks a decrease compared to 2024, when 58 attacks were reported.
• The highest number of attacks was reported in France (14), followed by Italy (11), Austria (7), and Germany (4). Belgium, Greece, and Ireland each reported two attacks, while Malta, the Netherlands, and Spain each reported one.
• 24 attacks were attributed to jihadist terrorism, the same number as in 2024. However, nine of these attacks were completed, compared with only six in 2024.
• Jihadist terrorism remained the most lethal form of terrorism, causing five deaths and 81 injuries in 2025. A further fatality resulted from a completed right-wing terrorist attack.
• Jihadist terrorism accounted for 347 arrests, or 71% of the total. More than 70% of the jihadism-related arrests concerned propaganda and support activities.
• 12 attacks were attributed to left-wing and anarchist terrorism. Eleven were completed, mainly in Italy (10) and Greece (1), while one failed attack occurred in Italy.
• Five attacks were attributed to right-wing terrorism. One was completed in France and four were foiled, three in France and one in Ireland.
• 486 individuals were arrested for terrorism-related offences across 21 EU Member States, compared with 449 in 2024 and 426 in 2023.
• 130 of those arrested for whom age information was available were aged 18 or younger, with the youngest being 12. In cases related to jihadist terrorism, 108 of the 347 suspects were aged 18 or younger.

Two major developments formed the focus of the report: (1) the increasing role of online ecosystems in radicalisation and mobilisation and (2) the emergence of more fragmented forms of terrorism and violent extremism in which ideological boundaries are becoming increasingly blurred.

Terrorist actors increasingly use digital platforms to disseminate propaganda and radicalise and mobilise individuals, while lone actors and self-initiated cells can act with limited or no direct organisational support.

Young people may be exposed to extremist content and recruited or radicalised through online communities, with some individuals becoming involved in terrorist or violent extremist activities at a very young age. The report also highlights online communities in which violence itself provides a source of identity, recognition, and belonging. These developments make radicalisation pathways more difficult to identify and challenge, particularly where individuals move between different extremist milieus.

The report further notes that technology continues to play an important role in the activities of terrorists and violent extremists:

• Online platforms and social media facilitate the dissemination of propaganda, recruitment, and mobilisation;
• End-to-end encrypted communication services provide channels for communication and coordination;
• Gaming platforms and other online environments can be used to expose young people to extremist content and facilitate radicalisation;
• Generative AI and other emerging technologies provide new possibilities for creating and disseminating extremist content;
• Online ecosystems allow individuals and small groups to operate without the support of established terrorist organisations;
• Organised crime and proxies may be instrumentalised by hybrid threat actors to carry out terrorist offences and contribute to broader destabilisation.

According to the report, low-level terrorist attacks are likely to remain a persistent and potentially increasing threat in the EU, with jihadism continuing to account for most attacks and arrests, while online environments broaden the pool of potential perpetrators and facilitate mobilisation across diverse ideologies. The outlook also points to a risk of more sophisticated and high-impact attacks, driven by returning foreign terrorist fighters, released terrorism offenders, technological advances, and competition for notoriety, with younger perpetrators and more random or opportunistic targeting posing particular concerns.