Written by Marcin Grajewski

The attack in Paris on the satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in January 2015, and the ensuing wave of violence in which 17 people were killed, together with subsequent events in Belgium and Denmark, has prompted a debate in the European Union on strengthening its counter-terrorism strategy. On 12 February, EU heads of state and government discussed new initiatives that would aim, among other goals, at preventing Europeans from going to fight alongside jihadist militants in Syria and Iraq, and their returning to carry out attacks in Europe. At their informal meeting, the EU leaders called for stricter checks on people entering the Schengen area, better information-sharing and the rapid adoption of the Passenger Name Records (PNR) system.
This note offers links to a selection of recent commentaries and analyses by major international think-tanks and research institutes which analyse the internal security threat posed by terrorism and ways to contain it.
Read the pdf of this At a glance here
Commentaries by think tanks
After Paris: What’s next for the EU’s counter-terrorism policy?
Centre for European Reform (CER), January 27, 2015
Historical choices after the massacres in Paris European Policy Centre, January 14, 2015
Can Europe protect itself against terrorism? Carnegie Europe, January 14, 2015
Don’t overhaul French anti-terrorism Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI), January 13, 2015
After the Paris attacks Carnegie Europe, January 13, 2015
Hebdo attack could spur military response: To what end? Brookings Institution, January 29, 2015
Europe’s jihadi generation (Javier Solana opinion piece) Brookings Institution, February 27, 2015
Europe cracks down on terrorism Brookings Institution, January 16, 2015
The threats to Europe’s democracy and stability Carnegie Europe, January 12, 2015
Paris 7-8 January: Darkness in the city of light International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, January 9, 2015
About fear, terrorism and what is really new Clingendael, November 1, 2014
Is a French intifada brewing? Institut Français des Relations Internationales (IFRI), April 9, 2014
Analyses by think tanks
The EU counter-terrorism policy responses to the attacks in Paris: towards an EU security and liberty agenda Centre for European Policy Studies (CEPS), February 9, 2015
Blasphemy, Charlie Hebdo, and the freedom of belief and expression
Institute for Strategic Dialogue, February, 2015
Strengthening government partnerships to build resilience: the challenge of foreign fighters
Institute for Strategic Dialogue, January, 2015
Addressing foreign terrorist fighters phenomenon from EU perspective
Clingendeal, December, 2014
Returning Western foreign fighters: The case of Afghanistan, Bosnia and Somalia
International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, June 20, 2014
Global terrorism index report, 2014 Institute for Economics and Peace, November, 2014
On the front line: A guide to countering far-right extremism Institute for Strategic Dialogue, June, 2014
Confidential partnerships? The EU, its strategic partners and international terrorism FRIDE, January 2014
Related publications
Differenzierte Reaktionen von Muslimen auf die Anschläge von Paris und die Gefahr kollektiver Schuldzuweisungen Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, February 15, 2015
Using Force Against Terrorists ‘Outside Areas of Active Hostilities’—The Obama Approach and the Bin Laden Raid Revisited, German Institute for International and Security Affairs, February 5, 2015
Cyber jihadists and their web European Union Institute for Security Studies, January 30, 2015
Terroranschläge in Paris: Reaktionen der islamischen Welt: Zwischen Verurteilung und Erklärungsversuchen Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, January 15, 2015
Djihadistische Radikalisierung und staatliche Gegenstrategien Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, 2015
Security and defence – an issue for the European citizen?
Trans European Policy Studies Association, March, 2014
The Arab war(s) on terror European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS), June 27, 2014
Foreign fighters, the challenge of counter-narratives Institute for Strategic Dialogue, March, 2014
Economic cost of violence containment Institute for Economics and Peace, February 2014
Other relevant material
‘Foreign fighters’ – Member States’ responses and EU action in an international context
EPRS briefing, February 5, 2015
Foreign fighters and European responses EPRS keysource, January 28, 2015
[…] monetary policy measures. Other topics have included: EU-Russia relations, migration, anti-terrorist policies, and major EU anti-trust […]