A4-0135/96

Resolution on the communication from the Commission on racism, xenophobia and anti-semitism (COM(95)0653 - C4-0250/96)

The European Parliament,

- having regard to Article F(2) of the Treaty on European Union,

- having regard to the communication from the Commission on racism, xenophobia and anti-semitism (COM(95)0653 - C4-0250/96),

- having regard to the report of its Committee of Inquiry into the Rise of Fascism and Racism in Europe ((Report on the findings of the inquiry, Strasbourg, December 1986.)),

- having regard to the Joint Declaration against racism and xenophobia of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 11 June 1986 ((OJ C 158, 25.6.1986, p. 1.)),

- having regard to the report on behalf of the Committee of Inquiry on Racism and Xenophobia of 17 July 1990 on the findings of the inquiry ((OJ C 284, 12.11.1990, p. 29.)),

- having regard to the resolution of the Council and the representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the Council of 29 May 1990 ((OJ C 157, 27.6.1990, p. 1.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 21 April 1993 on the resurgence of racism and xenophobia and the danger of right-wing extremist violence ((OJ C 150, 31.5.1993, p. 127.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 2 December 1993 on racism and xenophobia ((OJ C 342, 20.12.1993, p. 19.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 21 April 1994 on the situation of gypsies in the Community ((OJ C 128, 9.5.1994, p. 372.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 20 April 1994 on ethnic cleansing ((OJ C 128, 9.5.1994, p. 221.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 27 April 1995 on racism, xenophobia and anti-semitism ((OJ C 126, 22.6.1995, p. 75.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 15 June 1995 on a day to commemorate the Holocaust ((OJ C 166, 3.7.1995, p. 132.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 13 July 1995 on discrimination against the Roma ((OJ C 249, 25.9.1995, p. 156.)),

- having regard to its resolution of 26 October 1995 on racism, xenophobia and anti-semitism ((OJ C 308, 20.11.1995, p. 140.)),

- having regard to the final report of the Consultative Commission on Racism and Xenophobia for the Cannes European Council of 26 and 27 June 1995 (RAXEN 24),

- having regard to the interim report of the Consultative Commission on Racism and Xenophobia for the Madrid European Council of 15 and 16 December 1995 (RAXEN 58),

- having regard to the interim report from the Council concerning the feasibility study for a European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia as submitted to the European Council in Madrid in December 1995,

- having regard to the recommendations of the Reflection Group to the European Council, 'A Strategy for Europe' (December 1995, REFLEX 21),

- having regard to the Conclusions of the Presidency of the European Councils in Dublin (May 1990), Maastricht (December 1991), Edinburgh (December 1992), Copenhagen (June 1993), Corfu (June 1994), Essen (December 1994), Cannes (June 1995) and Madrid (December 1995),

- having regard to the recommendations of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe regarding the work of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, CAHLI (95)5, 8 February 1994,

- having regard to the Recommendations of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe regarding the work of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, CAHLI (95)4, 8 February 1994,

- having regard to the report of the Committee on Civil Liberties and Internal Affairs and the opinions of the Committee on Budgets, the Committee on Legal Affairs and Citizens' Rights and the Committee on Social Affairs and Employment (A4-0135/96),

A. whereas the history of Europe has on a number of occasions fallen into the grip of racism and ethnic hatred, with terrible consequences: genocide against Jews, gypsies, homosexuals and the disabled, millions of casualties among military personnel and particularly among civilians, deportation of population groups, persecution, ethnic cleansing, and mass displacements and uprooting of people,

B. whereas the development of European integration in the post-war years was the principal answer to National Socialism, fascism and the totalitarian communism into which the peoples of European countries allowed themselves to be manipulated and whereas in this connection the establishment of a democratic and European legal order founded on protection of human rights is fundamental,

C. whereas the existence of harmonious societies which are ethnically and culturally diverse is an expression of civilization and supports the European ideal and whereas moreover a living culture is open to external cultural influences and thus has a spontaneous tendency to incorporate elements from other cultures, which has had a decisive influence on the character and history of many states and peoples,

D. whereas government policy, and also the policies of the EU, may be influenced by ethnic prejudices, even Council statements, for example, having made a connection between unemployment in the Union and immigration, contrary to scientific evidence;

E. whereas, due to the policy of the Council of Ministers, the action of the European Union has permitted ethnic cleansing at its borders and given citizens the idea that the European Union is neither able nor willing to make a stand against those who propagate racism and ethnic hatred,

F. whereas the European Union has an obligation to develop a legal order and democracy, including the protection of minorities, in relation to associated and third countries or should help to create favourable conditions for their establishment, and whereas in this connection cooperation with other international organizations, such as the Council of Europe, is desirable,

G. whereas racism, anti-semitism and xenophobia are not confined to extreme right-wing parties but are also to be found throughout the ideological spectrum of politics, and efforts to combat these phenomena must therefore be pursued on a broad front,

H. whereas racist parties constitute the locus of crystallization for xenophobia, racism and anti-semitism in society and in order to combat racism and anti-semitism it is necessary to ostracize them and isolate their political leaders, such as Mr Le Pen and Mr Haider, in the Union,

I. whereas ethnicism ('racism') and xenophobia have deep roots in our society because of:

- the Member States' failure to come to terms with their colonial past, in which racism provided a justification for colonial policy,

- the deteriorating economic situation, leading to more extensive unemployment and social exclusion,

- the resurgence of selfish attitudes and the loss of values and of the principles of community, communication and tolerance, factors which provide fertile ground for racist and xenophobic behaviour which may be characterized either as hooliganism or simply as criminal acts,

- the lack of stimuli to help individuals to cope with a multicultural and multiethnic society and the 'global village',

- social and economic exclusion of both immigrant and indigenous members of the community in the Member States, as a result of which both may be tempted to succumb to manipulation by populist, authoritarian and right- wing extremist politicians,

J. whereas large sections of the population tend to see minority groups as scapegoats for their miserable living conditions such as:

- high levels of unemployment,

- poor social conditions and welfare,

- general economic insecurity,

- decay and uninhabitability of suburbs,

- inadequacies of school systems,

K. whereas the concept of race has no scientific foundation either in genetics or in anthropology and can therefore serve only to encourage discrimination on ethnic, national or cultural grounds or on grounds of skin colour, as it is based on the false premise that established, hierarchically classified 'races' exist; whereas the term should therefore be avoided in all official texts,

L. whereas racism, anti-semitism and xenophobia constitute a threat to social cohesion among people and whereas, therefore, the European Union should take specific measures in various fields,

M. whereas improved knowledge would help the European Union to develop a comprehensive strategy to combat the phenomena in the long and short term,

1. Expresses its appreciation of and approves the Commission communication because it constitutes a comprehensive response to problems of racism and xenophobia to which Parliament has drawn attention in various resolutions, and regards the approach adopted by the Commission as according with Parliament's wish to combat racism and xenophobia in many fields;

2. Endorses the establishment of a monitoring centre for racism and xenophobia, as proposed in the final report of the Consultative Commission on Racism and Xenophobia for the Cannes European Council (Kahn Commission), and wishes this monitoring centre to form the centre of a network of existing organizations, to be answerable to the Commission;

3. Hopes that the monitoring centre will work closely with the Council of Europe, particularly in respect of manifestations of racism and xenophobia at the periphery of the Union and where manifestations cross the frontiers of the Union to adjacent countries which are Members of the Council of Europe;

4. Believes that this monitoring centre will help to fight against racism and xenophobia within our society;

5. Recognizes that, if the monitoring centre is to be taken seriously by victims of racism, its staff regulations cannot limit recruitment to Member State nationals;

6. Believes that the Annual Report and other publications of the monitoring centre should not be limited to reportage but should study concrete policies which can be pursued by local authorities, national governments and the Union;

7. Urges that the Union institutions themselves set a convincing example in combating racism, xenophobia and anti-semitism and examine critically their own policy in this respect;

8. Deplores the inability of the Union to reject and combat ethnic hatred in a consistent and effective manner through its foreign policy;

9. Calls on the Council, Commission and Member States, in their external policy relations both with countries seeking accession to the Union and with associated countries and other third countries, to attach the greatest importance to protection of minorities in those countries and to support the Council of Europe to the best of their abilities in its efforts in this respect;

10. Calls on all politicians and opinion-formers to refrain from exploiting xenophobic instincts and to condemn all forms of intolerance and racist statements in their actions and policies;

11. Shares the Commission's intention of seeking equality of social and economic rights for residents of the Union, and regards the Joint Declaration by the Social Partners (Florence, 1994) as an important step towards combating discrimination and racism at work, and calls on the Commission to monitor closely the practical application of the Declaration to ensure that it does not remain a dead letter;

12. Calls on the Commission to support and monitor the implementation of the specific proposals in the final report of the Consultative Commission on Racism and Xenophobia (Kahn Commission), particularly in the field of justice and policing, and to report to the European Parliament on the subject at the end of 1997;

13. Expresses its expectation that the results of the application of the Declaration by the Social Partners will suggest ideas for the development of a European directive against discrimination on the labour market;

14. Considers that civil society in the Union has an important role to play in combating racism and xenophobia, and supports the Commission's proposal for setting up a social policy forum; in this connection, also wishes there to be a dialogue between the Commission and representatives of the main religious faiths in Europe and considers it desirable that the Commission should support the opening of a dialogue between these faiths;

15. Calls on the Commission, in the spirit of the 'Starting Line' proposal supported by churches and NGOs, to develop an anti-discrimination policy in many other fields (health care, education etc.) and, on the basis of the experience gained with policies and legislative practices in the Member States, to lay down anti-discrimination rules;

16. Stresses the need to develop measures in the field of education and training to combat racism and xenophobia effectively, and calls on the Member States to adopt the necessary measures to this end and on the Commission to provide the necessary support to enable these objectives to be achieved;

17. Endorses the Commission's preference for incorporating a general ban on discrimination in the Treaties and calls on the Commission in this context to bring forward a comprehensive proposal for a directive against discrimination against minorities in the Union, based on the existing anti- discrimination laws in the Member States;

18. Regards the Commission's view that powers to combat racism should be incorporated in the Community Treaty as support for its efforts to combat racism and xenophobia;

19. Considers it essential to promote common lines of conduct and established European legal opinions on combating racism and xenophobia; in this connection, wishes cooperation in the field of justice to include combating crossborder racism, notably with regard to publications, demonstrations by racists and the Internet;

20. Welcomes the decision by the Council of Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs of 19 and 20 March 1996 to undertake a joint action against racism and xenophobia pursuant to Article K.3 of the Treaty on European Union; hopes that this will include the incorporation in the legislation of all Member States of the European Union of a ban on denial of the holocaust, and considers it necessary that the Member States also develop their cooperation with regard to racism and xenophobia in relation to the associated countries in Central and Eastern Europe;

21. Considers it very important that national minorities should enjoy equal rights, calls for the rights of immigrants in the Member States likewise to be protected and calls on the Commission to review the arguments adduced by Member States which have entered reservations to European and international conventions, particularly the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination, and calls for a Commission communication on this subject;

22. Considers that there is a need to support migrants so as to enable them to profess their religious and philosophical convictions, considers it desirable to provide assistance with the training and higher education of imams and other spiritual leaders in Europe in order to ensure that these convictions are integrated with the European culture of tolerance, mutual respect and human rights, and calls on the Commission to provide the necessary facilities;

23. Considers that it should be made possible for third-country nationals who have the right to reside in a Member State of the European Union to acquire citizenship of that Member State, and appreciates the Commission's proposals to abolish controls at the internal borders and achieve freedom of movement for third-country nationals, which are a step in the right direction;

24. Calls on the Member States to make naturalization easier for immigrants, facilitate dual nationality and introduce a right of naturalization for the children of immigrants born in the Union and grant them nationality without creating formal obstacles;

25. Urges the Commission also to investigate the specific problems of racism and xenophobia facing the 3-4 million black persons in the Union;

26. Supports the Commission's approach with regard to supplementing integration policy with specific measures to assist particular groups in the Union, such as migrants and gypsies, but considers it very important to monitor coherence between general cohesion policy and specific policy measures and takes the view that, in evaluating the measures, special attention should be devoted to this coherence;

27. Reiterates its view that the social, cultural and political integration of immigrants is essential for their equal treatment in society and to combat racism and calls on the Member States to involve them in social and political decisions and to extend electoral rights to immigrants;

28. Supports the Commission's plans to improve urban living conditions for immigrants, and also considers that immigrants have a part to play in this themselves; wonders, however, whether the budget available is large enough, and observes that the Commission must act in accordance with the constraints of subsidiarity;

29. Recognizes the important role of education in combating racist and xenophobic attitudes among the young, as education contributes, inter alia, to the development of their consciences and sense of social responsibility; calls on the Commission in particular:

- to encourage authorities responsible for education to improve the quality of education concerning the significance of the Second World War in modern history and in the context of efforts to combat racism and nationalism,

- to recognize that religious and philosophical education makes a good contribution to the development of the consciences of the young and their views on life,

- to promote exchanges of knowledge and experience with regard to methods of achieving assimilation and the adult education appropriate to this,

- to promote adequate training of civil servants as to racism and xenophobia;

30. Appreciates the role which journalists themselves are keen to play in combating the expression of racist and xenophobic sentiments, and supports the idea of the media prize;

31. Supports the Commission's desire to promote productions through the MEDIA II programme which examine the ethnic and cultural diversity of society, and takes the view that immigrants should be given more opportunity, through measures which provide encouragement, to work in the media and make programmes for broadcasting, and underlines the responsibilities of advertisers to avoid xenophobic effects;

32. Regards its desire for a European Year against Racism to be designated by means of a practical plan as having been met;

33. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of the Member States and the President of the Consultative Commission on Racism and Xenophobia.