Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA of 28 November 2008 on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law
Date: 2008-11-28
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: criminal law, criminal liability, judicial cooperation, racism, xenophobia

6.12.2008

EN

Official Journal of the European Union

L 328/55

III

(Acts adopted under the EU Treaty)

ACTS ADOPTED UNDER TITLE VI OF THE EU TREATY

COUNCIL FRAMEWORK DECISION 2008/913/JHA

of 28 November 2008

on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

(3)

Having regard to the Treaty on European Union, and in
particular Articles 29, 31 and 34(2)(b) thereof,

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament (1),

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

Racism and xenophobia are direct violations of the prin­
ciples of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights and
fundamental
law, principles
upon which the European Union is founded and which
are common to the Member States.

freedoms and the rule of

The Action Plan of the Council and the Commission on
how best to implement the provisions of the Treaty of
Amsterdam on an area of
security and
freedom,
justice (2),
the Tampere European
the Conclusions of
Council of 15 and 16 October 1999, the Resolution of
the European Parliament of 20 September 2000 on the
European Union’s position at
the World Conference
Against Racism and the
situation in the
Union (3) and the Communication from the Commission
to the Council and the European Parliament on the
biannual update of the Scoreboard to review progress
‘freedom, security and
on the creation of an area of
justice’
in the European Union (second half of 2000)
call for action in this field. In the Hague Programme of
4 and 5 November 2004, the Council recalls its firm
commitment
racism, anti-
to oppose any form of
Semitism and xenophobia as already expressed by the
European Council in December 2003.

current

(1) Opinion of 29 November 2007 (not yet published in the Official

Journal).

(2) OJ C 19, 23.1.1999, p. 1.
(3) OJ C 146, 17.5.2001, p. 110.

be

by

followed

Council
Joint Action 96/443/JHA of 15 July 1996
concerning action to combat racism and xenophobia (4)
should
action
addressing the need for further approximation of law
and regulations of Member States and for overcoming
judicial cooperation which are
obstacles for efficient
mainly based on the divergence of legal approaches in
the Member States.

legislative

further

(4)

(5)

(6)

According to the evaluation of Joint Action 96/443/JHA
and work carried out in other international fora, such as
the Council of Europe, some difficulties have still been
experienced regarding judicial cooperation and therefore
there is a need for further approximation of Member
States’ criminal laws in order to ensure the effective im­
plementation of comprehensive and clear legislation to
combat racism and xenophobia.

the

target of

Racism and xenophobia constitute a threat against
groups of persons which are
such
behaviour. It is necessary to define a common criminal-
this
law approach
the
same
phenomenon in order
behaviour constitutes an offence in all Member States
and
dissuasive
penalties are provided for natural and legal persons
having committed or being liable for such offences.

European Union
to ensure

proportionate

to
the

effective,

that

that

and

in

Member States acknowledge that combating racism and
xenophobia requires various kinds of measures in a
comprehensive framework and may not be limited to
criminal matters. This Framework Decision is limited to
combating particularly serious forms of racism and xeno­
law. Since the Member
phobia by means of criminal
States’ cultural and legal traditions are, to some extent,
different, particularly in this field, full harmonisation of
criminal laws is currently not possible.

(4) OJ L 185, 24.7.1996, p. 5.

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should

Framework Decision ‘descent’

be
In this
understood as referring mainly to persons or groups of
persons who descend from persons who could be identi­
fied by certain characteristics (such as race or colour), but
not necessarily all of these characteristics still exist. In
spite of that, because of their descent, such persons or
groups of persons may be subject to hatred or violence.

Treaty on European Union and by the European
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and
Fundamental Freedoms,
in particular Articles 10 and
11 thereof, and reflected in the Charter of Fundamental
Rights of the European Union, and notably Chapters II
and VI thereof.

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

‘Religion’ should be understood as broadly referring to
persons
religious
reference
by
convictions or beliefs.

defined

their

to

‘Hatred’ should be understood as referring to hatred
based on race, colour, religion, descent or national or
ethnic origin.

This Framework Decision does not prevent a Member
State from adopting provisions in national
law which
extend Article 1(1)(c) and (d) to crimes directed against
a group of persons defined by other criteria than race,
colour, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin, such
as social status or political convictions.

It should be ensured that investigations and prosecutions
of offences involving racism and xenophobia are not
dependent on reports or accusations made by victims,
who are often particularly vulnerable and reluctant to
initiate legal proceedings.

(12) Approximation of criminal law should lead to combating
racist and xenophobic offences more effectively, by
promoting a full and effective judicial cooperation
between Member States. The difficulties which may
exist in this field should be taken into account by the
Council when reviewing this Framework Decision with a
view to considering whether further steps in this area are
necessary.

(13)

sufficiently

achieved by

and dissuasive

effective, proportionate
cannot be

Since the objective of this Framework Decision, namely
ensuring that racist and xenophobic offences are sanc­
tioned in all Member States by at least a minimum level
criminal
of
penalties,
the
Member States individually, since such rules have to be
common and compatible and since this objective can
the
therefore be better
achieved at
European Union,
in
accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as referred
to in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and as
set out
the Treaty establishing the
European Community. In accordance with the principle
of proportionality, as set out in the latter Article, this
Framework Decision does not go beyond what
is
necessary in order to achieve that objective.

the Union may adopt measures,

in Article 5 of

level of

the

(15)

(16)

Considerations relating to freedom of association and
the
freedom of expression,
press and freedom of expression in other media have
led in many Member States to procedural guarantees
and to special
to the
determination or limitation of liability.

in particular

in national

freedom of

law as

rules

Joint Action 96/443/JHA should be repealed since, with
the entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam, Council
Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the
principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective
of racial or ethnic origin (1) and this Framework Decision,
it becomes obsolete,

HAS ADOPTED THIS FRAMEWORK DECISION:

Article 1

Offences concerning racism and xenophobia

Each Member State shall take the measures necessary to

1.
ensure that the following intentional conduct is punishable:

(a) publicly inciting to violence or hatred directed against a
group of persons or a member of such a group defined
by reference to race, colour, religion, descent or national
or ethnic origin;

(b) the commission of an act referred to in point (a) by public
dissemination or distribution of tracts, pictures or other
material;

(c) publicly condoning, denying or grossly trivialising crimes of
genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes as
defined in Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the Statute of the Inter­
national Criminal Court, directed against a group of persons
or a member of such a group defined by reference to race,
colour, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin when
the conduct is carried out in a manner likely to incite to
violence or hatred against such a group or a member of
such a group;

(d) publicly condoning, denying or grossly trivialising the
crimes defined in Article 6 of the Charter of the Inter­
national Military Tribunal
appended to the London
Agreement of 8 August 1945, directed against a group of
persons or a member of such a group defined by reference
to race, colour, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin
when the conduct is carried out in a manner likely to incite
to violence or hatred against such a group or a member of
such a group.

(14)

This Framework Decision respects the fundamental rights
and observes the principles recognised by Article 6 of the

(1) OJ L 180, 19.7.2000, p. 22.

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For the purpose of paragraph 1, Member States may
2.
choose to punish only conduct which is either carried out in
a manner likely to disturb public order or which is threatening,
abusive or insulting.

person, acting either individually or as part of an organ of the
legal person, who has a leading position within the legal person,
based on:

3.
For the purpose of paragraph 1, the reference to religion
is intended to cover, at least, conduct which is a pretext for
directing acts against a group of persons or a member of such a
group defined by reference to race, colour, descent, or national
or ethnic origin.

(a) a power of representation of the legal person;

(b) an authority to take decisions on behalf of the legal person;

or

(c) an authority to exercise control within the legal person.

4.
Any Member State may, on adoption of this Framework
Decision or later, make a statement that it will make punishable
the act of denying or grossly trivialising the crimes referred to
in paragraph 1(c) and/or (d) only if the crimes referred to in
these paragraphs have been established by a final decision of a
national court of this Member State and/or an international
court, or by a final decision of an international court only.

2.
Apart from the cases provided for in paragraph 1 of this
Article, each Member State shall take the necessary measures to
ensure that a legal person can be held liable where the lack of
supervision or control by a person referred to in paragraph 1 of
this Article has made possible the commission of the conduct
referred to in Articles 1 and 2 for the benefit of that legal
person by a person under its authority.

Article 2

Instigation, aiding and abetting

1.
Each Member State shall take the measures necessary to
ensure that instigating the conduct referred to in Article 1(1)(c)
and (d) is punishable.

Each Member State shall take the measures necessary to
the

2.
ensure that aiding and abetting in the commission of
conduct referred to in Article 1 is punishable.

Article 3

Criminal penalties

Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to
1.
ensure that
the conduct referred to in Articles 1 and 2 is
punishable by effective, proportionate and dissuasive criminal
penalties.

2.
Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to
ensure that the conduct referred to in Article 1 is punishable by
criminal penalties of a maximum of at least between 1 and 3
years of imprisonment.

Article 4

Racist and xenophobic motivation

For offences other than those referred to in Articles 1 and 2,
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that
racist and xenophobic motivation is considered an aggravating
circumstance, or, alternatively that such motivation may be
taken into consideration by the courts in the determination of
the penalties.

Article 5

Liability of legal persons

1.
Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to
ensure that a legal person can be held liable for the conduct
referred to in Articles 1 and 2, committed for its benefit by any

3.
Liability of a legal person under paragraphs 1 and 2 of
this Article shall not exclude criminal proceedings against
natural persons who are perpetrators or accessories in the
conduct referred to in Articles 1 and 2.

‘Legal person’ means any entity having such status under
4.
law, with the exception of States or
the applicable national
other public bodies in the exercise of State authority and
public international organisations.

Article 6

Penalties for legal persons

1.
Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to
ensure that a legal person held liable pursuant to Article 5(1) is
punishable by effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties,
which shall
include criminal or non-criminal fines and may
include other penalties, such as:

(a) exclusion from entitlement to public benefits or aid;

(b) temporary or permanent disqualification from the practice

of commercial activities;

(c) placing under judicial supervision;

(d) a judicial winding-up order.

2. Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure
that a legal person held liable pursuant
is
punishable by effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties
or measures.

to Article 5(2)

Article 7

Constitutional rules and fundamental principles

This Framework Decision shall not have the effect of
1.
fundamental rights and
modifying the obligation to respect
fundamental
including freedom of expression
and association, as enshrined in Article 6 of the Treaty on
European Union.

legal principles,

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This Framework Decision shall not have the effect of
2.
requiring Member States to take measures in contradiction to
fundamental principles relating to freedom of association and
freedom of expression, in particular freedom of the press and
the freedom of expression in other media as they result from
constitutional
rules governing the rights and
responsibilities of, and the procedural guarantees for, the press
or other media where these rules relate to the determination or
limitation of liability.

traditions or

Article 8

Initiation of investigation or prosecution

Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to ensure
that investigations into or prosecution of the conduct referred
to in Articles 1 and 2 shall not be dependent on a report or an
accusation made by a victim of the conduct, at least in the most
serious cases where the conduct has been committed in its
territory.

Article 9

Jurisdiction

1.
Each Member State shall take the necessary measures to
establish its jurisdiction with regard to the conduct referred to
in Articles 1 and 2 where the conduct has been committed:

Article 10

Implementation and review

1. Member States
to
comply with the provisions of this Framework Decision by
28 November 2010.

take the necessary measures

shall

2.
By the same date Member States shall transmit to the
General Secretariat of the Council and to the Commission the
text of the provisions transposing into their national
law the
obligations imposed on them under this Framework Decision.
On the basis of a report established using this information by
the Council and a written report from the Commission, the
to
Council shall, by 28 November 2013, assess the extent
which Member States have complied with the provisions of
this Framework Decision.

3.
Before 28 November 2013, the Council shall review this
Framework Decision. For the preparation of this review, the
Council shall ask Member States whether they have experienced
difficulties in judicial cooperation with regard to the conduct
the Council may request
under Article 1(1).
Eurojust to submit a report, on whether differences between
national
legislations have resulted in any problems regarding
judicial cooperation between the Member States in this area.

In addition,

(a)

in whole or in part within its territory;

Article 11

(b) by one of its nationals; or

(c)

for the benefit of a legal person that has its head office in
the territory of that Member State.

jurisdiction in accordance with
2. When establishing
paragraph 1(a), each Member State shall
take the necessary
measures to ensure that its jurisdiction extends to cases where
the conduct is committed through an information system and:

(a)

the offender commits the conduct when physically present
in its territory, whether or not the conduct involves material
hosted on an information system in its territory;

(b) the conduct involves material hosted on an information
the offender
in its

territory, whether or not
conduct when physically present

system in its
commits
the
territory.

Repeal of Joint Action 96/443/JHA

Joint Action 96/443/JHA is hereby repealed.

Article 12

Territorial application

This Framework Decision shall apply to Gibraltar.

Article 13

Entry into force

This Framework Decision shall enter into force on the day of its
publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Done at Brussels, 28 November 2008.

3.
A Member State may decide not to apply, or to apply only
in specific cases or circumstances, the jurisdiction rule set out in
paragraphs 1(b) and (c).

For the Council
The President

M. ALLIOT-MARIE