The Council of Europe Committee on Counter-Terrorism (CDCT), formerly called the Committee of Experts on Terrorism (CODEXTER), is an intergovernmental body coordinating the Council of Europe's action against terrorism.

Based on the principles of prevent, prosecute and protect, the CDCT is tasked with developing appropriate and practical soft law instruments such as recommendations and guidelines for member States to consider and apply in the fight against terrorist activity.

In the context of implementing the Council of Europe Counter-Terrorism Strategy 2023-2027, some of the CDCT’s main priorities are:

• Negotiating on a revised pan-European legal definition of “terrorism” for the purposes of the 2005 Warsaw Convention;
• The use and abuse of the internet and new technologies by terrorists;
• Exploring and analysing the current trends regarding foreign terrorist fighters and returnees;
• Developing a resource containing good practices on the use of information collected in conflict zones as evidence in criminal proceedings;
• Producing guidelines on potential strategies to prosecute violent extremism conducive to terrorism;
• Developing guidance for public and private sector authorities to improve preparedness and emergency responses in the immediate aftermath of terrorist attacks.

The CDCT also provides a platform for country profiles on legislative and institutional counter-terrorism situation in member States, and helps exchange best practices and promote the effective implementation of Council of Europe instruments applicable to the fight against terrorism. Additionally, to help ensure that all member State efforts to combat terrorism in full respect of human rights and the rule of law, the CDCT and the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) provide a regularly-updated factsheet on ECHR cases relating to counter-terrorism.