This research project analyses the modern EU counter-terrorism trends, focusing on two parallel axes: (a) the repressive one, where new criminal offences related to terrorist activity (receiving training for terrorism, terrorist financing, travelling and facilitating travelling for the purpose of terrorism) have been instituted, and (b) the preventive one, where establishing a framework of provisions aiming to deter terrorist financing prevails. After critically evaluating EU’s interventions in both axes, the research project concludes by noting a ‘paradigm shift’ between repression and prevention in the field of countering terrorism, while suggesting proposals on a transposition of Directive (EU) 2017/541 into national legislations that adheres to the fundamental EU law principles, and a preventive control over terrorist financing that abides by the rule of law.
The research project was carried out from 20 June 2018 to 19 December 2019. The research team consisted of Maria Kaiafa-Gbandi, Professor of Criminal Law AUTH, Scientific Coordinator, Nikoletta Karaliota, PhD candidate AUTH, Eliza Kompatsiari, PhD candidate AUTH and Christos Lampakis, PhD candidate AUTH.
It was co-financed by the European Union (European Social Fund) and Greek national funds, by the Operational Program “Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning 2014-2020”, under the call for proposals ‘Supporting researchers with emphasis on new researchers’ (EDULLL 34), MIS 5005189.
In the context of the project, the research team:
– participated with the presentation “Increased control over the mobility of persons as a pre-emptive and repressive measure of criminal policy to combat terrorism in the EU: The example of punishing travelling for the purpose of terrorism and the relevant preventive control framework” to the International Conference ‘IV CINETS Conference 2018 “Mobility and Security in an Era of Globalisation: Crimmigration at a Crossroads?”’ in London, 5–6.10.2018;
carried out a research visit to the Library of the Law School of the Harvard University USA, 13–23 April 2019, to collect material and visit Harvard Professor of Law Carol Steiker;
– had its research published with the title ““The New EU Counter-Terrorism Offences and the Complementary Mechanism of Controlling Terrorist Financing as Challenges for the Rule of Law” in the International Law Journal ‘Brill Research Perspectives in Transnational Crime’ [v. 3.1., 2020, pages 1–80], https://brill.com/view/journals/rptc/3/1/article-p1_1.xml.