General

The Council of Europe has been dedicated since 1949 to upholding human rights, the rule of law and pluralist democracy, and is determined to combat terrorism which repudiates these three fundamental values. The Council of Europe has worked in this field since the 1970s but its efforts were stepped up in 2001 following the unprecedented terrorist attacks in the United States.

The Council of Europe’s activities in the fight against terrorism are built on three
cornerstones:

- strengthening legal action against terrorism;
- safeguarding fundamental values;
- addressing the causes of terrorism.

They are based on the fundamental principle that it is possible and necessary to fight terrorism while respecting human rights, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law.

The Council of Europe set up two intergovernmental committees of experts: the Multidisciplinary Group on International Action against Terrorism (GMT), set up in 2001, and the Committee of Experts on Terrorism (CODEXTER) which replaced the GMT in 2003 and is still active and coordinates the implementation of activities in the priority areas. This work has resulted in several international instruments and publications.