Impact of Brussels anti-radicalisation spending unclear, say auditors

4 Jun 18

The European Commission is failing to demonstrate the effectiveness of counter-radicalisation measures funded by the European Union, auditors have said.

The European Court of Auditors said in a report that while the commission supports member states in the battle against terrorism, there is no overview of whether this is working.

Jan Gregor, the member of ECA responsible for the report, said: “The Commission has coordinated support across its different departments and developed a number of synergies. But there is scope for improvement.

“It has no complete overview of EU-funded actions and the EU funds used do not have indicators or targets to measure success in addressing radicalisation.”

The European Commission supports member states in the battle against terrorism through funds such as the Internal Security Fund, the Horizon 2020 Programme, the Justice Programme, Erasmus+, and the European Social Fund.

In their report, Tackling radicalisation that leads to terrorism: the Commission addressed the needs of Member States, but with some shortfalls in coordination and evaluation’, the auditors make key recommendations.

They say the bloc should improve the way it coordinates its actions to tackle radicalisation, increase practical support to practitioners and policymakers in member states, and improve the way it assesses the results.

EU member states are responsible for their own national security, including the fight against terrorism.

This includes the design and implementation of measures to tackle radicalisation – defined as people embracing extremist ideologies and behaviours that could lead them to commit acts of terrorism.

The auditors found that while the commission seeks to address the needs of member states, there were shortfalls as to whether this support is effective and offers value for money.

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