The Hague  - The number of terrorist attacks carried out in the European Union fell in 2008 compared to the previous year, Europol, the EU's criminal intelligence agency announced on Friday.

In total, EU states reported some 515 "failed, foiled or successful terrorist attacks" in 2008, the agency said. Compared to 2007 the number is a drop of 23 per cent.

Europol said that with the exception of one failed bomb attack in Britain (in the city of Exeter, which only injured the perpetrator), there were no Islamist terrorist attacks within the EU in 2008.

In 13 EU states some 1,009 people were arrested on suspicion of terrorist activities, 384 of whom were charged.(dpa)