Rank and file or memes and likes? Terrorist organisations, groups, networks

This conference will examine the current state of terrorist organisations in Europe and abroad together with the influence they exert on the terrorist threat in our continent. It will also elaborate on activities of foreign states aimed to attack their opponents in Europe and destabilise European countries via different, sometimes violent, pathways.

Some of the matters the conference will dissect are:

• terrorist organisations’ intention and capabilities to conduct terrorist attacks in Europe;
• their influence on terrorist networks or actors in Europe, whether online or offline;
• recruitment and incitement of terrorist attacks in Europe;
• the impact of conflict abroad on different (diaspora) communities in Europe;
• the spread of modi operandi and technical knowledge by terrorist organisations which might be used by terrorist actors in Europe;
• state actors’ involvement in terrorist attacks and incitement in Europe, on the one hand, and their hybrid warfare efforts through disinformation and other influence campaigns.

Overall, the conference aims to collate the different roles of law enforcement, public authorities and society as a whole in strengthening Europe’s resilience in the face of the complex threat that the continued influence of terrorist organisations and state actors has on our communities.

The ECTC Advisory Network on terrorism and propaganda connects counter terrorism experts from academia, private sector and law enforcement. Through this network, the experts exchange knowledge and expertise from their respective fields on recent developments in counter terrorism.