"The idea is for Belgium to welcome a cell of experts who can offer European countries immediate responses to a very serious communications problem," Gilles de Kerchove, EU counter-terrorism chief since 2007, told Le Soir newspaper, as quoted by AFP.
In recent years, Islamists have stepped up propaganda efforts, mainly using social media to target prospective recruits. The Islamic State, possibly the most brutal militant group in the Middle East, has been notorious for using social networks to appeal to young people in the region and globally through engaging images, catchy slogans and professionally edited videos.
"Social media such as Twitter or Facebook are highly effective in spreading a violent extremist ideology. They play a significant role in the recruitment and fundraising efforts of extremist groups such as ISIS and Jabhat al Nusra," Richard Barrett, senior vice president of the Soufan Group, said in a report, issued in June 2014.
The European Commission will reportedly provide €1 million for the project, according to AFP. The team, consisting of 5–6 experts, will work inside Belgium’s Minister of the Interior, according to Le Soir newspaper.
"We will see if it leads to something," de Kerchove said, as quoted by AFP. "If it works well, without doubt some states will develop a certain capacity and would like to continue it with their own means. The idea is to advise; the state then does what it wants," he added.
As of September 2014, over 3,000 Europeans were fighting in Syria and Iraq, according to the BBC.
