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Parliamentary question - P-003103/2015Parliamentary question
P-003103/2015

Establishment of a European anti-propaganda agency to fight radicalisation

Question for written answer P-003103-15
to the Commission
Rule 130
Bart Staes (Verts/ALE)

On 19 February 2015, Belgium’s Minister for Home Affairs, Jan Jambon, gave a speech at the ‘Countering Violent Extremism’ summit in Washington. In his speech, he mentioned the establishment of the ‘Syria Strategic Communications Advisory Team’ (SCATT). This European anti-propaganda agency was said to have the objective of developing a general communication strategy which European countries could put to use in whatever way they saw fit in their national security policies. The use of social media by every radical element in society would be traced, identified and responded to with a significant message. The European Internal Security Fund has allocated EUR 1 million to this.

In view of the academic consensus that radicalisation is a social problem rather than an individual one, this consensus ought to be taken into account in the establishment of this European anti-propaganda agency.

1. How will the Commission ensure that this agency is not a ‘one-way street’ but forms the basis for dialogue with various groups in society and thus provides a lasting way of tackling the phenomenon of radicalisation?

2. How will the Commission ensure that European funding is used efficiently and sustainably?

3. What definitions of ‘radical propaganda’ and ‘anti-propaganda’ is the Commission using to combat radicalisation?