B4-1071/98

Resolution on racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism and on further steps to combat racial discrimination

The European Parliament,

- having regard to Article 14 of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms,

- having regard to the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination adopted in 1966,

- having regard to the new Article 29 of the EU Treaty and the new Article 13 of the EC Treaty, as incorporated into those treaties by the Treaty of Amsterdam, which establish the fight against racism and xenophobia and against the many forms of discrimination as a European Union objective,

- having regard to the conclusions of its committees of inquiry on racism and xenophobia (A2-0160/85 and A3-0195/90), and its resolutions of 21 April 1993 on the resurgence of racism and xenophobia in Europe and the danger of right-wing extremist violence ((OJ C 150, 31.5.1993, p. 127.)), 2 December 1993 on racism and xenophobia ((OJ C 342, 20.12.1993, p. 19.)), 20 April 1994 on ethnic cleansing ((OJ C 128, 9.5.1994, p. 221.)), 21 April 1994 on the situation of gypsies in the Community ((OJ C 128, 9.5.1994, p. 372.)), 27 October 1994 ((OJ C 323, 21.11.1994, p. 154.)) and 27 April 1995 ((OJ C 126, 22.5.1995, p. 75.)) on racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism, 15 June 1995 on a day to commemorate the Holocaust ((OJ C 166, 3.7.1995, p. 132.)), 13 July 1995 on discrimination against the Roma ((OJ C 249, 25.9.1995, p. 156.)), 26 October 1995 on racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism ((OJ C 308, 20.11.1995, p. 140.)), 9 May 1996 on the communication from the Commission on racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism ((OJ C 152, 27.5.1996, p. 57.)), 30 January 1997 on racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism and the European Year Against Racism (1997) ((OJ C 55, 24.2.1997, p. 17.)) and 29 January 1998 on racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism and the results of the European Year Against Racism ((OJ C 56, 23.2.1998, p. 13)),

- having regard to the Council Joint Action of 15 July 1996 concerning action to combat racism and xenophobia ((OJ L 185, 24.7.1996, p. 5.)) and Council Regulation (EC) No 1035/97 establishing a European Monitoring Centre for Racism and Xenophobia ((OJ L 151, 10.6.1997, p. 1.)),

- having regard to the 'Charter on European political parties for a non-racist society¨ adopted on 5 December 1997 by the Consultative Committee on Racism and Xenophobia (Kahn Committee),

- having regard to the Communication from the Commission on An Action Plan Against Racism (COM(98)0183), and to the Commission's undertaking enshrined therein that a proposal for legislation to combat racial discrimination will be presented before the end of 1999,

A. whereas the new Article 6 of the EU Treaty refers to respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms and fundamental rights, as guaranteed by the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and as they result from the constitutional traditions common to the Member States,

B. whereas the new Article 29 of the EU Treaty expressly lays down the prevention and combating of racism and xenophobia in order to provide citizens with a high level of safety within an area of freedom, security and justice as an objective of the European Union,

C. whereas the new Article 13 of the EC Treaty provides for the possibility that 'the Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may take appropriate action to combat discrimination based on ... racial or ethnic origin, religion',

D. whereas a Director for the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia in Vienna ('the Centre¨) was appointed in July 1998 (more than one year after the entry into force of the Council Regulation),

E. regretting that the Centre's tasks have been confined to specific areas under the first pillar and looking forward to the review of the Centre¨s duties three years after its establishment in the expectation that such restrictions will be removed,

F. whereas the Council has not forwarded to Parliament the assessment of the Member States' efforts to honour their obligations under the abovementioned Joint Action of 15 July 1996,

G. whereas the basic principles of democracy and fundamental freedoms include respect and understanding for the cultural diversity of citizens, and should be seen as a source of social and cultural enrichment,

H. whereas education must take as its watchwords non-discrimination and respect for other cultures, and whereas educational policy must prevent and, where necessary, combat the introduction of racialist tendencies into schools and institutes of higher education,

I. whereas the fight against anti-Semitism and measures to combat discrimination against immigrants and religious minorities are integral to any comprehensive policy against racism and xenophobia,

J. deeply regretting that, although many international initiatives against racism and xenophobia have been launched in recent years, racist and xenophobic views still find expression in insults and violent attacks causing psychological and physical injuries and sometimes permanent disabilities and death,

K. mindful of the fact that, if they are to have a sustained impact and be seen as a basis for further measures, the wide range of initiatives launched to combat racism must be continued and further developed,

L. drawing attention to the Starting Line Group proposals for an anti-discrimination directive, which have been enthusiastically acclaimed both within the European Parliament and beyond,

M. whereas, if it constantly reviewed its own policies and material actions to check for possible racist, xenophobic or ethnic tendencies, the European Union would set a convincing example in the fight against racism and xenophobia,

N. whereas Parliament itself, as the Community institution which has been democratically elected and therefore should represent the cultural diversity of Europe, attaches great importance to the participation of cultural, racial and ethnic minorities in both social and political decision-making processes,

O. firmly believing that the European Union should require applicant countries for membership to guarantee the protection of minorities on their territories prior to accession,

P. whereas over centuries Europe has been enriched and economically strengthened by the contribution of newly arrived ethnic minority groups,

1. Urges Member States who have not yet done so to ratify the Amsterdam Treaty within the first six months of 1999, and calls on the Commission, immediately after the entry into force of that Treaty, to propose appropriate legislation on the basis of the provisions on non-discrimination set out in the new Article 13 of the EC Treaty, in order to prevent and combat discrimination on the grounds of race, ethnic origin or religion, particularly in the fields of employment, education, health care, social security, housing and public and private services;

2. Notes the conference held on 3 and 4 December 1998 in Vienna at which the Commission set out its ideas on non-discrimination legislation; calls on the Commission, over and above that, to open a dialogue with the European Parliament and other interested organisations and institutions with a view to the drawing up of a series of specific and targeted legislative initiatives which relate to the divergent forms of discrimination encountered in the various areas of society;

3. Calls upon the Commission to take account of the Starting Line Group's proposals in its discussions on new legislation to combat racism and to promote equal rights;

4. Urges all politicians to refrain from any form of exploitation or encouragement of xenophobic sentiments, to condemn all forms of intolerance and racist remarks in a manner which deprives them of any impact, and to combat any racist tendencies or groups within their own ranks;

5. Calls on the Council to forward to Parliament the assessment of the Member States' efforts to honour their obligations under the abovementioned Joint Action of 15 July 1996, an assessment which should have been carried out before the end of June 1998;

6. Welcomes the appointment of a director to the Centre and encourages the completion of the necessary preparations and recruitment of well-qualified staff so that the Centre becomes fully operational in the second half of 1999;

7. Expects the Centre - in addition to its preparatory activities - to lay the foundations for the European Network to monitor Racism and Xenophobia, to put forward research proposals and to build on the work done to date by the Consultative Commission on Racism and Xenophobia;

8. Calls on the Austrian Government to continue its efforts to find a solution for suitable premises for the Centre within the next weeks;

9. Calls upon the Member State governments, together with European Union bodies, to use the data and information provided by the Centre to better their own domestic situations, develop justice policies against discrimination and to improve their cooperation and joint action concerning action to combat racism;

10. Calls upon Member State governments to agree, during the necessary revision of the Treaties prior to EU enlargement, that future provisions introduced under the new Article 13 of the EC Treaty are adopted by qualified majority voting in Council in close consultation with the European Parliament;

11. Urges the European institutions and the Member States to ensure that their asylum and immigration policies are free from xenophobic tendencies, to secure in law and to bring into line with each other the rights of asylum-seekers and immigrants in the various Member States and to support the good work carried out by local NGOs in providing legal assistance for asylum-seekers and immigrants and promoting support for their integration;

12. Hopes that pilot projects and actions undertaken through the Commission¨s Action Plan Against Racism will not preclude participants who, by being small local groups of migrant peoples, are unable to provide or integrate into grandiose multinational projects but nevertheless are able to provide high-value low-cost activities in communities scarred by social exclusion and the lack of opportunities for ethnic minorities;

13. Welcomes the establishment of the European Network Against Racism, co-financed through the European Union, which brings together organisations working to combat racism and to promote equal rights and the adoption of anti-racist legal measures and other activities at European and national levels; calls upon the Commission to open up such networks and initiatives to applicant and other European countries and to ensure that ongoing anti-racist programmes are fully accessible to community groups that suffer from discrimination themselves, so that the benefits of partnership in combating racism are fully exploited at the local level;

14. With a view to the forthcoming European Elections in 1999, calls upon political parties in the EU Member States and the European political groups acting in the European Parliament to publicly adopt and abide by the "Charter of European political parties for a non-racist society¨;

15. Demands that, during accession negotiations, the applicant countries are required, prior to accession, to guarantee the protection of minorities resident on their territories, and calls on the Commission to pay special attention to this point in the annual reports;

16. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, the Council of Europe and the governments and parliaments of the Member States and the applicant countries.

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