European Parliament Urges Governments to Weigh Terror Listing for Muslim Brotherhood‑Linked Networks
The European Parliament has backed a non‑binding resolution, passed 381–167, asking EU states to share information so people and organisations linked to the Muslim Brotherhood can be assessed against the bloc’s terrorist‑listing criteria.
The European Parliament has called on EU governments to step up scrutiny of Muslim Brotherhood‑linked individuals and organisations, moving the long‑running argument over political Islam further into the realm of counter‑terrorism policy.
In a resolution adopted on Thursday, members of the European Parliament asked EU countries to assess whether people and groups connected to the Muslim Brotherhood should go onto the bloc’s joint terrorist list. The resolution passed with 381 votes in favour and 167 against.
The text doesn’t itself place anyone on the list. Instead, it urges national authorities to provide information so the Brotherhood’s leaders, structures and affiliated networks can be checked against the EU’s criteria for terrorist designation.
Those criteria require evidence that a person or group has been involved in, or has supported, terrorist acts as defined under EU law. If an individual or organisation is added to the list, they face measures such as asset freezes and restrictions on financial support.
The move increases political pressure on interior ministries and security services in member states to clarify which elements of Muslim Brotherhood‑linked networks they consider a concern. It may also expose differences among EU countries that take contrasting approaches to groups associated with the Brotherhood.
For Muslim civil‑society organisations in Europe that are described as having links to the movement, the prospect of formal review can have immediate consequences. Banks, donors and public authorities sometimes change their approach to entities that are publicly mentioned in connection with potential terror listings, even before any legal decision is taken.
The Muslim Brotherhood is a diffuse movement, with branches ranging from political parties to religious and social organisations. That diversity lies behind much of the EU debate over whether, and how, to treat Brotherhood‑related structures within counter‑terror frameworks.
Next steps to watch include which EU governments signal support or reservations about the resolution, whether the Council of the EU initiates any formal listing procedures based on national submissions, and how organisations identified as Brotherhood‑linked respond if they find themselves under review.
Sources
- OSINT