Reply
5.5.2022
The Council is not in a position to comment on the Commission’s funding decisions under its competence.
Insofar as reference is made to possible restrictive measures that could be adopted by the Council, the Council recalls its reply to Written Question E-003684/2021.
The Council also recalls, inter alia, its conclusions of 15 June 2020[1], which set out a number of actions on preventing and countering terrorism and violent extremism.
The Council agrees that it is essential to prevent radicalisation and address the ideologies behind terrorism and violent extremism. To that end, in December 2020 the European Council, among other things, called for:
— Ensuring that religious education and training are in line with European fundamental rights and values, and addressing foreign influencing of national civil and religious organisations through non-transparent financing;
— Supporting initiatives to better understand the spread of extremist ideologies[2].
The abovementioned European Council conclusions built on the ‘Joint Statement by the EU Home Affairs Ministers on the recent terrorist attacks in Europe’[3].
The Joint Statement indicates a number of measures to counter the threat from all forms of terrorism, and stresses the need to uphold freedom, including religious freedom, and social cohesion.