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The European Commission has today presented a series of measures to support Member States in their efforts to prevent and fight radicalisation leading to violent extremism and terrorism. This initiative is part of the Commission's work under the European Agenda on Security adopted in April 2015 and towards achieving an effective and genuine EU Security Union. The Communication presented today includes initiatives in several policy areas, from boosting research to help better understand the radicalisation phenomenon, to preventing its manifestations through education, to tackling it on the Internet and in prisons, to how we can strengthen cooperation with third countries facing similar challenges. What is the added value of EU action in the fight against radicalisation leading to violent extremism? The recent terrorist attacks in Europe have once again underlined the urgent need to tackle radicalisation leading to violent extremism and terrorism. The majority of the terrorist suspects implicated in those attacks were European citizens, born and raised in EU Member States, who were radicalised and turned against their fellow citizens to commit atrocities. Preventing radicalisation is a central part of the fight against terrorism, as highlighted in the European Agenda on Security. Actions countering radicalisation take place mainly on the ground, at local but also regional or national levels, and fall primarily within the competences of the Member States. Local actors such as teachers, youth and social workers, community leaders, psychologists, NGOs, think-tanks, community police, prison and probation officers as well as representatives of local authorities are usually best placed to prevent and detect radicalisation both in the short term and the long term. At the same time, the process of violent radicalisation has important transnational implications which require a more coordinated approach and support from the European level. To support Member States in their efforts, the Commission will primarily mobilise its policy and funding instruments as well as European networks. Most actions in the Communication will be implemented in close collaboration with the Member States. What are the root causes of radicalisation leading to terrorism? EU research has provided useful comparative results on radicalisation and de-radicalisation processes and on the evolving and complex social context of religions, multiculturalism and political extremism in many Member States. There is a growing consensus that drivers conducive to radicalisation may include a strong sense of alienation, perceived injustice or humiliation reinforced by social marginalisation, xenophobia and discrimination, limited education or employment possibilities, criminality or psychological problems. These factors can be exploited by recruiters who prey on vulnerabilities and grievances through manipulation. Recent developments including the most recent terrorist attacks perpetrated in Europe, but more broadly the large number of EU foreign terrorist fighters, the increasing number of women and children becoming radicalised and recruited by terrorist groups as well as the use of modern communication tools for such purposes, represent new challenges in terms of understanding and addressing the underlying root causes and processes of radicalisation. What evidence exists already on the phenomenon of radicalisation? The phenomenon of radicalisation is not new. EU research has provided useful comparative results on radicalisation and de-radicalisation processes among young people and on the evolving and complex social context of religions, multiculturalism and political extremism in many Member States. Several projects on radicalisation were launched under the Seventh Framework Programme for European Research and Technological Development (FP7). In addition, the Commission has included research topics on radicalisation and inclusion in 2016 under its research and development programme Horizon 2020. The fresh evidence generated by these projects will strengthen the capacity of Member States to fine-tune existing policy approaches and develop new policies and practices. In which areas will the Communication support Members States? What are some examples of concrete actions the Commission will take? This Communication focuses on how work at EU level can support Member States in meeting this challenge in the following seven specific areas: (i) Supporting research, evidence building, monitoring and networking For instance, the Commission will increase its research on radicalisation to help Member States fine-tune existing policy approaches and practices. (ii) Countering terrorist propaganda In the coming months the Commission, Europol, Member States, civil society and industry will put forward a toolbox of targeted actions. This will, for instance, include a Joint Referral Platform to be developed by the internet industry with the contribution of different stakeholders. The aim is to strengthen the referrals process and prevent removed material from being re-uploaded to other platforms. (iii) Addressing radicalisation in prisons The RAN Centre of Excellence will provide policy recommendations on the prevention of radicalisation for first-line practitioners, covering the prison and probation sector. In addition, the EU will develop education and training programmes in prisons (including vocational training) to ease detainees' reintegration into society. (iv) Promoting inclusive education and EU common values As one of the actions to achieve this goal, the Commission is making available through Erasmus+ more than € 400 million in 2016 to transnational partnerships to develop innovative policy approaches and practices at grassroots level, prioritising social inclusion, the promotion of common values and intercultural understanding. The Commission will also set up a network to enable visits from local role models – entrepreneurs, sportspeople, as well as formerly radicalised people – to schools, youth centres or sports clubs. (v) Promoting an inclusive, open and resilient society and reaching out to young people For example, the Commission will continue to work with the European Parliament and the Council towards the adoption of the anti-discrimination directive. It will also enhance its support to youth workers and youth organisations, particularly by developing a toolkit helping them to detect and tackle violent radicalisation. (vi) The security dimension of addressing radicalisation For instance, the Commission will, by the end of 2016, propose to revise the Schengen Information System to further improve its added value for law enforcement and counter-terrorism purposes. (vii) The international dimension. The Commission will, for instance, focus the EU's external financial instruments on the prevention of violent radicalisation. It will also set up Erasmus+ Virtual Exchanges between young people from inside and outside the EU, aiming to bring 200,000 of them together through these structured online discussions by 2020 to boost intercultural dialogue and mutual understanding. How does the EU support projects in the fight against radicalisation? The fight against radicalisation is multi-dimensional, and there is funding available at EU level from a range of programmes, which can be used for relevant actions, spread across different policy areas. 1.One source of support are national programmes implemented by EU countries participating in the Internal Security Fund (ISF). For instance, ISF-Police national programmes contain projects related to radicalisation with a total amount of € 314 million for 2014-2020. 2.The Commission can also support projects on radicalisation through several instruments such as the horizontal ISF-Police for Union actions depending on the scope of the actions foreseen in the project. For these actions, the Commission approves Annual Work Programmes that define the priorities and objectives for each year, including the priorities for the calls for proposals. 3.Another source of financial support is Erasmus+, the EU education and training programme. As of 2016, priority is given to actions and projects that foster inclusion and promote fundamental values, echoing the objectives of the Paris Declaration of March 2015. As a result, € 400 million is now available to develop new policies and projects supporting these priorities, and an additional € 13 million will be spent on helping to spread and scale up grassroots initiatives. 4.Finally, the European Structural and Investment Funds implemented at national or regional level can be mobilised. From 2014 to 2020, € 25.6 billion will go directly towards fostering the social inclusion of disadvantaged groups, for instance through tailor-made training programmes and social support schemes. In addition, more than € 8 billion will be used to help schools address early school leaving and increase access to quality education for all, for instance through adapting school curricula, teacher education courses and individual support to disadvantaged learners.