This virtual conference organized by CEP on behalf of the German Foreign Office aimed to explore this issue in greater depth. The event highlighted a range of instruments governments have found useful in countering the domestic threat posed by violent right-wing extremism and terrorism. It discussed how developing a common conceptual understanding of the terrorist nature of networks within these wider transnational movements could open up the possibility to use already developed multilateral legal, administrative and operational structures, as well as instruments and mechanisms to mitigate terrorist threats.

The conference was organized in the framework of Germany’s chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. Member States had the opportunity to exchange information on their already existing mechanisms and discuss which counterterrorism instruments may be already applicable to this threat and which may need further modification.

AGENDA:
Moderator: Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler, Senior Director, Counter Extremism Project

Opening remarks
Simon Herchen, Deputy Head of Division, International Cooperation against Terrorism, Drug Trafficking, German Federal Foreign Office and Organized Crime, Foreign Office, Federal Republic of Germany 
Ileana Visoiu, Chair to the Council of Europe Committee on Counter-Terrorism

Panel: Member State experiences in countering violent right-wing extremism and terrorism
Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Sweden
Prof. Vassiliki Georgiadou, Director, Centre for Political Research, Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Greece
Hana Šebová, Head, Screening Centre, National Counter Terrorism Unit, Ministry of Interior, Slovak Republic
Alexander Ritzmann, Senior Advisor, Counter Extremism Project, Germany

Presentation: The Council of Europe counter-terrorism mechanism
Carlo Chiaromonte, Counter-Terrorism Coordinator of the Council of Europe