255 Andreea Marica Measures and regulatory changes within the European Union... One of the EU’s soft responses as part of the fight against terrorism is combatting online radicalisation, accounting for the threat that also emanates from those people who remain on European territory and who receive inspiration or instructions from terrorist groups located abroad.77 Therefore, the EU Internet Referral Unit (IRU) for online content, which has been operational within Europol since 1 July 2015, is a key tool as part of the European Counter-Terrorism Centre. Its main function consists in pre-empting terrorist abuse online, acting as a central service for Member States and third partners in order to reduce levels of terrorist propaganda content on the internet. Given this context, we reiterate the need for Member States and partners to cooperate actively with Europol to increase the volume of notifications of terrorist propaganda on the internet and remove extremist content from the internet78. Currently, in concert with Member States, the IRU focuses on the propaganda and terrorist content disseminated by Al-Qaeda or Daesh.79 Therefore, given the high threat level as well as the technological capacity used by these terrorist groups, firstly the IRU’s ability to decipher and decrypt communication among Jihadist networks on social media is being reinforced and, secondly, cooperation alliances have been forged with the private sector to allow the IRU to actively contribute to the EU Internet Forum and a Europol platform for experts will be developed with the aim of facilitating contact with academia and research centres.80 The most significant elements of the regulatory changes introduced or pending in the eu to intensify the fight against global terrorism The evolution of the global terrorism threat presents an unprecedented challenge to the internal security of the EU, which is why it is necessary to adapt the legislation in force in order to address urgently the persistent gaps, fragmentation and existing limitations, thereby guaranteeing up-to-date, robust European legislation that will create an environment of trust among national authorities so that they can address common challenges81. In this vein, a series of legislative measures have been initiated in 77 Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on combating terrorism and replacing Council Framework Decision 2002/475/JHA on combating terrorism. Doc. 2015/0281(COD). 78 Council of the European Union. State of play on implementation of the statement of the Members of the European Council of 12 February 2015, the JHA Council Conclusions of 20 November 2015, and the Conclusions of the European Council of 18 December 2015. Brussels, 4 March 2016, Doc. 6785/16, p. 35 et seq. 79 Europol Unclassified – Basic Protection Level: EU Internet Referral Unit. Year one report highlights, p.4. 80 Council of the European Union. State of play on implementation of the statement of the Members of the European Council of 12 February 2015, the JHA Council Conclusions of 20 November 2015, and the Conclusions of the European Council of 18 December 2015. Brussels, 4 March 2016, Doc. 6785/16, p. 35 et seq. 81 Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the European Council and the Council: Delivering on the European Agenda on Security to fight against terrorism and pave the http://revista.ieee.es/index.php/ieee
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