European Parliament resolution on the increase in racist and homophobic violence in Europe
Date: 2006-06-15
Institutions: European Parliament
Subjects: Europe, anti-discriminatory measure, political cooperation, racism, social policy, violence

9.12.2006

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Thursday 15 June 2006

Complementary measures

29.
Emphasises the need for complementary measures, such as sustainable fiscal measures and public
procurement, and, as soon as possible, the elimination of unsustainable public subsidies in a number of
policy areas, in particular in the fields of energy and agriculture; believes that sustainability will not be
achieved without shifting the tax burden from labour to resource use and pollution;

30.
Underlines the importance of rural development programmes and agriculture (both conventional and
organic) for sustainable development, given that only economically and ecologically viable rural areas can
reverse the trend of rural depopulation and thus safeguard essential infrastructures; calls for specific research
efforts with regard to the possible effects of climate change on water availability and soil quality in the
Mediterranean area;

31.
Emphasises the important role of science and innovation in addressing the many challenges defined
in the SDS, including competitiveness; regrets that public-sector support for energy research within the EU
and its Member States has been drastically reduced recently and calls for a significant increase in support for
renewables and energy efficiency;

32.
Recognises that climate security and the need to break dependency on fossil fuels are emerging as
top priorities within EU policy-making, requiring not only ambitious domestic action to curb greenhouse
gases but also significant financial support for technology cooperation with developing countries to encour-
age investments in energy efficiency and low-carbon technologies; emphasises the importance of energy
saving, which is the single most important source of energy in Europe and one which has no negative
environmental impacts;

Believes that the SDS objectives must be reflected in the use of the EU budget over the period from
33.
2007-2013 and help to set the agenda for the full review of the EU's budget in 2008/2009; welcomes, in
this context, the fact that the proposal for a Council Regulation laying down general provisions on the
European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund and the Cohesion Fund (COM(2004)
0492) explicitly states that the objectives of the Funds are pursued within the framework of sustainable
development, but regrets that the earmarking of the assistance co-financed by the Funds does not cor-
respond to the SDS and considers that this ought to be reviewed;

34.
Insists, finally, that measures to support sustainable development objectives should not be judged just
in the light of their short-term costs, but also of their longer-term benefits, and that the costs of inaction
should also be fully taken into account;

35.

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council and Commission.

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P6_TA(2006)0273

Increase in racist and homophobic violence in Europe

European Parliament resolution on the increase in racist and homophobic violence in Europe

The European Parliament,

— having regard to international human rights instruments which prohibit discrimination based on racial
and ethnic origin, and notably the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial
Discrimination and the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental
Freedoms (ECHR), both signed by all Member States and a large number of third states,

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— having regard to Articles 2, 6, 7 and 29 of the Treaty on European Union and Article 13 of the EC
Treaty, which commit the EU and its Member States to uphold human rights and fundamental freedoms
and which provide European means to fight racism, xenophobia and discrimination,

— having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, especially Article 21

thereof,

— having regard to European Union activities to fight racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and homopho-
bia, in particular the anti-discrimination Directives 2000/43/EC implementing the principle of equal
treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin (1) and 2000/78/EC establishing a
general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation (2), as well as to the proposal
for a framework decision on combating racism and xenophobia (3),

— having regard to its previous resolutions on racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, homophobia, protec-

tion of minorities, anti-discrimination policies and the situation of Roma in the EU,

— having regard to Rule 103(4) of its Rules of Procedure,

A. whereas racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, homophobia and anti-gypsyism are motivated by irrational
reasons and are sometimes linked to social marginalisation, exclusion and unemployment, as well as by
a refusal to conceive diversity in our societies as a source of richness,

B. whereas several Member States have experienced violent events and/or killings motivated by racist,
xenophobic and anti-Semitic hatred, while other direct and indirect forms of racism, xenophobia, anti-
Semitism and homophobia persist inside and outside the EU,

C. whereas the Russian authorities have banned the march for equality and tolerance for lesbian, gay,
bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people planned for 27 May 2006 in Moscow in violation of the
right of peaceful assembly and demonstration guaranteed by the ECHR, in a situation where political
and religious authorities were involved in denigration and incited and participated in the violent events
that subsequently occurred,

D. whereas political figures at European, national and regional level have a responsibility to set a good

example by promoting tolerance, understanding, respect and peaceful coexistence,

E. whereas some political parties, including those in power in a number of countries or well represented
at local level, have deliberately placed issues of racial, ethnic, national, religious and gay intolerance at
the heart of their agenda, allowing political leaders to use language that incites racial and other forms of
hatred and stokes extremism in society,

F. whereas calls for open violence of a homophobic nature have come from a member of a Polish govern-

ing party in relation to the plans to hold a gay rights march in Warsaw,

G. whereas Member States have foreseen various measures against political parties that promote pro-
grammes and activities that are contrary to the values guaranteed by the ECHR, including the with-
drawal of public funding,

H. whereas disgraceful and serious racist incidents take place during football matches, and whereas there

are concerns that similar events could take place during the current World Cup,

(1) OJ L 180, 19.7.2000, p. 22.
(2) OJ L 303, 2.12.2000, p. 16.
(3) OJ C 75 E, 26.3.2002, p. 269.

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I. whereas education, especially at primary level,

‘upstream policy’ area in fighting racist
attitudes and prejudice in later life, and whereas policy makers ought to pay due regard to the benefit
of a good social and ethnic mix in state primary education,

is a critical

J. whereas the media play an important and significant role in the public perception of racist violence and
in some Member States tend to use one-dimensional and biased descriptions of violence, thus bearing
responsibility for spreading misinformation on racism and xenophobia,

K. whereas the existence of a large number of internet homepages which provide the main source of
information about racist groups and groups which incite hatred raises concerns as to how to counteract
this problem without violating freedom of expression,

L. whereas the police and judicial systems in Member States play a crucial role in the prosecution and
prevention of racist violence; whereas, however, they sometimes fail to protect citizens against racist
violence and to discourage extremists from committing crimes of such a nature, and in this respect
Member States should consider whether their police forces and judicial systems suffer from ‘institutional
racism’; whereas in some countries, police violence specifically targets ethnic, racial and sexual minor-
ities and directly violates their right to freedom of assembly,

M. whereas there is a lack of statistical data on racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and homophobia in the

Member States, and notably on violence and discrimination related to these phenomena,

N. whereas, after five years of negotiations, the Council has still not adopted the Commission proposal for
a Framework Decision on combating racism and xenophobia, leading the Commission to threaten to
withdraw it, and whereas this instrument would have been a useful tool to address and punish per-
petrators of race hate crime,

O. whereas four Member States — Germany, Luxembourg, Austria and Finland — have been referred to
the European Court of Justice for their failure to satisfy the requirements of Directive 2000/43/EC,

Deplores the fact that the Council has been unable to adopt the abovementioned proposal for a
1.
framework decision on combating racism and xenophobia, and urgently calls on the future Finnish Presi-
dency of the Council to restart work on it and on the Council to reach an agreement on explicitly extending
it to homophobic, anti-Semitic, Islamophobic and other types of offence motivated by phobia or hatred
based on ethnicity, race, sexual orientation, religion or other irrational grounds; calls on the Member States
to reinforce criminal law measures aimed at the approximation of the penalties for such offences throughout
the EU; urges all the Member State to effectively implement the anti-discrimination directives and the
Commission to bring before the Court of Justice those Member States which fail to do so and to submit
before mid-2007 proposals for new legislative tools covering all the grounds for discrimination set out in
Article 13 of the EC Treaty and having the same scope as Directive 2000/43/EC;

2.
Strongly condemns all racist and hate attacks, urges all national authorities to do everything in their
power to punish those responsible and to fight the climate of impunity with respect to those attacks;
expresses its solidarity with all victims of such attacks and their families, including:

— the premeditated murder of a black woman of Malian nationality and the Belgian child of whom she
was the nurse perpetrated in Antwerp on 12 May 2006 by a young Belgian right-wing extremist, this
same person having a few moments earlier seriously wounded a woman of Turkish origin while trying
to kill her;

— the murder of a 16-year old boy in January 2006 and of a 17-year old boy in April 2006 in Brussels,
and expresses its indignation at some of the media coverage of these murders which at times led to
unfounded criminalisation of whole communities in the eyes of the general public;

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— the kidnapping, torture and assassination of Ilan Halimi in February 2006 in France by a gang of 22
persons of different origins, and expresses its deep concern at the anti-Semitic dimension of this crime;

— the assassination of Chaïb Zehaf in March 2006 in France due to his ethnic origin;

— the brutal assault on a German citizen of Ethiopian origin, Kevin K,

in the village of Poemmelte,

Saxony-Anhalt, on 9 January 2006, in particular because of its racial motive;

— the horrific torture and murder of Gisberta, a transsexual living in the Portuguese city of Oporto, in

February 2006 by a group of adolescent and pre-adolescent minors;

— the attack against Michael Schudrich, Chief Rabbi of Poland, which took place in Warsaw, as well as the
declarations by a leading member of the League of Polish Families inciting violence against LGBT
people in view of the march for tolerance and equality;

— the attack suffered on 8 April 2006 by Fernando Ujiguilete, a Portuguese national of Guinean origin, in
Castellar del Vallès (Spain); on account of this racist attack, Ujiguilete had to spend several days in
hospital;

— the increase in the number of racist attacks, calls and chants by fans with neo-Nazi allegiances in foot-

ball stadiums;

3. Welcomes the fact that the mass demonstrations organised in Antwerp and Paris to express public
horror at the events referred to above and public support in the fight against racism, xenophobia and anti-
Semitism were attended by thousands of people; welcomes also the demonstrations for tolerance in Poland
and notably the warm welcome given to the 2006 Gay Pride parade in Warsaw;

Is seriously concerned about the general rise in racist, xenophobic, anti-Semitic and homophobic
4.
intolerance in Poland, partly fuelled by religious platforms such as Radio Maryja, which has also been criti-
cised by the Vatican for its anti-Semitic discourse; believes that the EU should take appropriate measures to
express its concerns and notably to address the issue of the participation in the government of the League
of Polish Families, whose leaders incite people to hatred and violence; reminds Poland of its commitments
and obligations under the Treaties, in particular Article 6 of the EU Treaty, and the possible sanctions in the
event of non-compliance; urges the Polish government in this context to reconsider the abolition of the
Office of the Plenipotentiary for Equal Status; requests the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and
Xenophobia to conduct an inquiry into the emerging climate of racist, xenophobic and homophobic intoler-
ance in Poland and the Commission to verify if the actions and declarations of the Polish Minister of
Education are in conformity with Article 6 of the EU Treaty;

5.
Strongly condemns the Russian authorities' decision to ban the first Gay Pride in Moscow on 27 May
2006, as well as their failure to ensure the safety and security of peaceful demonstrators and human rights
activists, and reminds the Russian authorities that freedom of assembly is a basic human right guaranteed by
Article 31 of the Constitution of the Russian Federation; expresses its deep concern about the role which
Russian politicians and faith organisations have played in inciting violence and hatred against LGBT people;
expresses its hope that similar events will not occur in the future and encourages the Russian authorities to
allow the Gay Pride parade in 2007 and to ensure the safety of its participants;

Is deeply disappointed at the failure of EU leaders to raise this matter during the EU-Russia Summit on

6.
26 May 2006;

7.
Is equally disappointed at the failure of the meeting of President Barroso and Commissioners Frattini
and Spidla with the religious leaders of Europe on 30 May 2006 to condemn the active participation of
Russian Orthodox priests in the violent anti-gay and neo-Nazi march in Moscow on 27 May 2006;

8.
Expresses its astonishment and concern at the reaction of the President of the Council of Europe's
Parliamentary Assembly to the incidents in Moscow, when he congratulated Russia on its human rights
record, instead of condemning the violation of basic human rights which took place on 27 May 2006;

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Calls on the EU representatives at the upcoming G8 summit to raise the issue of human rights with

9.
Russia as a matter of urgency, in particular the right to demonstrate peacefully;

10.
Calls on the institutions of the European Union, the Member States and all European democratic
political parties to condemn all acts of intolerance and of incitement to racial hatred, as well as all acts of
harassment or racist violence;

11.
Regrets that several Member States are experiencing rising support for extremist parties and groups
with a clear xenophobic, racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic agenda, some of which have recently acceded
to government in Poland, and stresses the need to address the roots of this phenomenon, such as social
marginalisation, exclusion and unemployment;

12.
Urgently requests all Member States to at least foresee the possibility of withdrawing public funding
from political parties that do not abide by human rights and fundamental freedoms, democracy and the rule
of law as set out in the ECHR and the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and calls on those that already have
this possibility to do so without delay;

13.
Asks Member States to launch campaigns and projects at all levels and sectors, in particular in the
media and in schools, to promote cultural diversity as a form of richness and economic dynamism, gender
equality, the fight against discrimination, tolerance, dialogue and integration, for instance in the context of
the European Years of Equal Opportunities for All (2007) and Intercultural Dialogue (2008);

14.
Calls on the Member States to give proper attention to the fight against racism, sexism, xenophobia
and homophobia both in their relations with each other and in their bilateral relations with third countries;

15.
Calls on the Commission to continue developing an anti-discrimination policy alongside its emerging
policy on integration; considers that, for equality to be achieved, due regard needs to be paid to integration
and other non-legislative measures, such as promoting interaction and participation;

Stresses the need to support anti-racist and anti-xenophobic initiatives in relation to the current
16.
World Cup in Germany and asks authorities closely to monitor and to prosecute and condemn those
responsible for racist acts;

17.
Recalls the need for sound and clear definitions and statistics on racism and xenophobia, in particular
on racist and xenophobic violence, as a means of effectively combating these phenomena, as already high-
lighted in the EUMC's 2005 annual report, which stresses the lack of statistical registration of racist violence
in Italy, Portugal and Greece;

Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission, the governments of

18.
the Member States, the Council of Europe and the government of the Russian Federation.