Operational Guidelines on the preparation and implementation of EU financed actions specific to countering terrorism and violent extremism in third countries

The European Union (EU) recognises the need to address the threat of terrorism, and further develop cooperation within both its neighbourhood and external regions to prevent or counter violent extremism (P/CVE). The EU’s Counter-Terrorism (CT) Strategy comprises four pillars – Prevent, Protect, Pursue, Respond - designed to reduce terrorism globally, while respecting human rights. The ‘prevent’ pillar can be distinguished from the following three in that it focuses on non-coercive measures that seek to prevent or mitigate violent extremism. The remaining three pillars tend to focus on or coercive measures, such as those conducted by law enforcement or the military, as well as the activities of intelligence services, which usually work alongside or in support of law enforcement and the military. This reflects the fact that over time international policymakers have acknowledged that security measures alone cannot address the complex nature terrorism, especially in terms of reducing the “enabling environment” for violent extremism. ... These Guidelines is intended to provide a comprehensive practical framework on the EU’s external actions in the area of counter-terrorism (CT) and preventing and countering violent extremism (P/CVE). It offers practical support and operational Guidelines to EU staff on the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of EU financed CT and P/CVE specific interventions in third countries.