Preventing Violent Extremism in the Balkans and the MENA: Strengthening Resilience in Enabling Environments (PREVEX)

Despite the EU having revised its counter-terrorism policies several times since 2001, the destructive impact of violent extremism continues to take its toll, generating negative shocks across international borders. The overarching objective of PREVEX is, therefore, to put forward more fine-tuned and effective approaches to preventing violent extremism. Focusing on the broader MENA region and the Balkans, context-sensitive, in-depth case studies of the occurrence and non-occurrence of violent extremism will be carried out and then brought together in a regional comparison. In doing so, PREVEX will seek to improve the understanding of how different drivers of violent extremism operate. Particular emphasis will be placed on how to strengthen resilience through investigating the non-occurrence of violent extremism in ‘enabling environments’.

PREVEX employs a bottom-up approach to local–global dynamics combined with an institutionalist analysis of the responses of the EU, member states and Third Countries. The project consists of a carefully assembled team of area and subject experts, representing both EU member states and the regions analysed. PREVEX utilises an inter-disciplinary approach informed by mixed-methods. The project is therefore ideally positioned to ensure mutual learning between and within the EU, the Balkans and the broader MENA region. Hence, PREVEX will contribute to more effective policies that prevents violent extremism through strengthening societal resilience.