WRITTEN QUESTION P-2673/01 by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission. Measures to protect EU Muslims from racist violence.
Date: 2001-09-24
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, Muslim, United States, anti-discriminatory measure, public awareness campaign, racial discrimination, racism, religious discrimination, terrorism

16.5.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 115 E/145

(2002/C 115 E/148)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2673/01

by Anna Karamanou (PSE) to the Commission

(24 September 2001)

Subject: Measures to protect EU Muslims from racist violence

Prompted by the tragic terrorist attack on the USA on 11 September 2001, the first signs of demonisation
of the Arab and Muslim populations living in the European Union have been seen in the EU. In the United
Kingdom alone, a string of events has already been recorded, such as the violent attacks on a 19-year-old
Muslim woman and on a taxi-driver from Afghanistan, who now faces permanent disability.

What preventive measures does the Commission intend to take to protect this section of the population,
while respecting their religious and cultural identity, and, more specifically, how does it plan to educate
public opinion in order to avoid the 20 million Muslims living in the EU becoming victims of violent
racist incidents and social exclusion?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(24 October 2001)

In the extraordinary meeting of the European Council of 21 September 2001 which was convened to
analyse the international situation following the terrorist attacks in the United States and to impart the
necessary impetus to the actions of the European Union, it was underlined that the European Union
categorically rejects any equation of groups of fanatical terrorists with the Arab and Muslim world. The
Commission fully shares this view.

The Commission deplores all racist and xenophobic violence. The Commission is extremely concerned
about the increase in racist attacks against Muslims and people of Arabic and Southern Asian origin in a
number of EU countries, following the recent terrorist atrocities in the United States.

The Community action programme to combat discrimination (1),
is aimed at promoting measures to
combat any direct or indirect, single or multiple discrimination based on racial or ethnic origin, religion or
beliefs, disability, age or sexual orientation. Within the limits of the Community’s powers, the programme
supports and supplements the efforts made at Community level and in the Member States to encourage
measures to prevent and combat discrimination. One of its objectives is to promote and disseminate the
values and practices underlying the combating of discrimination, including by means of awareness-raising
activities. The Commission will be exploring with the Member States the possibilities for using the
programme to support national initiatives to prevent the stigmatisation of certain ethnic and religious
groups.

Responsibility for monitoring racist and xenophobic incidents rests with the European Monitoring Centre
on Racism and Xenophobia based in Vienna. Action taken by the Commission has consisted of close
liaison with the Monitoring Centre concerning a request to focus specifically on any apparent increase in
racism and xenophobia in the wake of the attacks and, where possible, to identify good practices to try to
limit any side-effects.

(1) Council Decision 2000/750/EC of 27 November 2000, OJ L 303, 2.12.2000.

(2002/C 115 E/149)

WRITTEN QUESTION P-2675/01

by Jorge Moreira Da Silva (PPE-DE) to the Commission

Subject: Agreement between Portugal and Spain on water resources

(24 September 2001)

Does the Commission consider that the agreement between Portugal and Spain on water resources
complies with the Framework Directive on Water, which entered into force about a year ago?