DEFINITION OF TERRORISM BY COUNTRY

IN OECD COUNTRIES

There have been some definitional differences in the use

of the terms ‘terrorism’ and ‘act of terrorism’ between
OECD countries. It is for this reason that a comparison is
necessary to clarify the scope of the operation of the
terrorism risk insurance programmes.

The OECD International Platform on Terrorism Risk Insurance shares information and
identifies good practices for the financial management of terrorism risk, to contribute to fast
economic recovery in the event of attacks.

This comparative table is regularly updated. It is the product of joint work between national
terrorism insurance schemes, the OECD and the World Forum of Catastrophe Programmes.
[Link]/daf/fin/insurance/[Link]
 DEFINITION OF TERRORISM BY COUNTRY IN OECD COUNTRIES
Status of definition of Intention of terrorist act Identification of those Means used Targets/effects
terrorism behind the act
Contained in s 5 Terrorism Insurance Action done or threat made, with the Not specified An act (or threat of an act), that is not advocacy, An action that causes serious harm to a
Act 2003 intention of advancing a political, religious protest, dissent or industrial action, that causes person, serious damage to property,
or ideological cause, with the intention of specified damage. causes death or endangers life or creates a
Australia

Act of terrorism has to be certified by coercing or influencing by intimidation the serious health or safety risk, or seriously
the Commonwealth Treasurer, after government of Australia or the Australian interferes with, or disrupts or destroys an
consultation with the Commonwealth States or Territories, or a foreign country, or electronic system.
Attorney-General. intimidating the public.

Industry definition To influence the government or put the Terrorist organisations or Act or threat of violence Human life, tangible or intangible property
public or any section of the public in fear. individuals or infrastructure

NB: Standard policy conditions for

property and loss insurance
Austria

excludes inter alia damages

incurred as a consequence of acts
of violence committed by (political
or) terrorist organisation (not
defined). Such damage can only be
covered through a special
agreement.
Article L421-1 of the Criminal Code Seriously and intentionally disrupt law and Individual or joint undertaking Intimidation or terror
(no distinction between the notions order. List of offences:
of “attack” and “terrorist act”) 1. Deliberate attempts on people’s lives, deliberate attacks on people’s wellbeing, abduction and
false imprisonment, as well as the hijacking of aircraft, ships and any other means of transport;
2. Theft, extortion, destruction and damage, as well as computer-related crime;
France

3. Offences relating to combat groups and movements that have been disbanded;
4. The manufacture or possession of arms, lethal weapons and explosives, as defined in Article 3 of
the Act of 19 June 1871 repealing the Act of 4 September 1870 on the manufacture of weapons of
war;

The production, sale, import or export of explosive substances, as defined in Article 6 of Act No.
70-575 of 3 July 1970, amending the regulations applying to explosive powders and substances.
Definition of terrorism under Acts committed for political, religious, Persons or groups of persons The insurer shall indemnify, if this has
EXTREMUS AG ethnic or ideological purposes suitable to been specially agreed, in respect of insured
create fear in the population or any section property which is destroyed, damaged or
of the population and thus to influence a lost due to:
government or public body. a) fire, explosion,
Germany

b) impact or crash of aircraft or aerial

bodies and vehicles, also craft, of all kinds,
their parts or their cargo,
c) Other malicious damage, insofar as the
mentioned perils are caused by an act of
terrorism committed in the Federal
Republic of Germany.
 DEFINITION OF TERRORISM BY COUNTRY IN OECD COUNTRIES
Status of definition of Intention of terrorist act Identification of those Means used Targets/effects
terrorism behind the act
Definition used for the operation of Attacks or series of attacks likely to have Whether or not in any Any violent act and/or conduct – committed outside Acts against persons and property of any
the Terrorism Risk Reinsurance been planned or carried out with a view to organizational context the scope of one of the six forms of acts of war as nature.
Company serve certain political and/or religious referred to in Article 64(2) of the Insurance Business
Netherlands

and/or ideological purposes. Supervision Act [1993 wet toericht

verzekeringsbedrijf] – in the form of an attack or a
series of attacks connected together in time and
intention, as a result whereof injury and/or
impairment of health, whether resulting in death or
not, and/or loss of or damage to property arises or
any economic interest is otherwise impaired.
Definition of the risks covered by the Every act committed with the object of Not specified Act of violence People and goods
Consortium (no prior government destabilizing the established political order
statement is needed in order to or generating fear and insecurity in the
compensate for damage under this social environment in which they are
heading) perpetrated
Spain

Specific case of state terrorism Disrupt the Constitution or seriously Members of armed factions or Acts of destruction or fires started deliberately Not specified
Criminal Code definition of terrorism undermine law and order people working for or in
(Section 2, Art. 571) co-operation with armed factions,
organizations or groups whose aim
is to disrupt the Constitution or
seriously undermine law and order
In pursuit of political, religious, ethnic, Act or threat of violence. The definition shall not
Switzerlan

ideological or similar purpose which may include civil unrest (act of violence against persons
result in putting the public or any section of or property committed in the course of unlawful
the public in fear or influencing any assembly, riot or civil commotion or associated
government or governmental organization looting)
d

Reinsurance (Acts of Terrorism) Act Acts of persons acting on behalf of, or in connection with, any organization which Act of violence Commercial property and consequent
1993 (for Pool Re arrangements in carries out activities directed towards the overthrowing or influencing, by force or business interruption costs arising from an
Great Britain – other arrangements violence, of her Majesty’s government in the United Kingdom or any other act of terrorism
apply in Northern Ireland). government de jure or de facto.
United Kingdom

The issue of a certificate by the UK

Treasury (or, if refused, by a decision
of a Tribunal) is required for an act to
be recognized as a “terrorist act” for
the purpose of the scheme, under the
Reinsurance (Acts of Terrorism) Act
1993.
Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002 Part of an effort to coerce the civilian It must be committed as part of an Violent act or dangerous act Endanger human life, property or
– Public Law 107-297 population of the United States, or to effort to coerce U.S. civilians or to infrastructure that results in damages
United States

An act of terrorism is an act certified influence policy or affect the conduct of the influence either policy or conduct within the United States, or outside the US
by the Secretary of the Treasury in US by coercion of the U.S. Government through in the case of an attack of an air carrier or
concurrence with the Secretary of coercion vessel, or premises of a US mission
State and the Attorney General of the
United States.