ABSTRACT
Europe has seen significant and varied terrorist activities in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, ranging from the Provisional Irish Republican Army through the German Red Army Faction to al Qaeda- and Daesh-inspired individuals and groups. These episodes have provided European states with a wealth of experience in combating terrorism (Chalk, 1996). Although there has been continued concern over separatist groups in some states and growing unease about the activities of far-right groups in others, jihadist terrorism has been the primary focus of counter-terrorism efforts in many Western states since the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001. Moreover, since 2013, against the backdrop of the Syrian civil war, the issues of radicalisation and foreign terrorist fighters (FTFs) have become focal points in counter-terrorism debates in Europe and on the EU’s policy agenda.
