COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A Union of equality : EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025
Date: 2020-09-18
Institutions: European Commission, Secretariat-General
Subjects: EU action, European social policy, cultural pluralism, equal treatment, ethnic discrimination, fundamental rights, protection of minorities, racial discrimination, social integration, xenophobia

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 18.9.2020  COM(2020) 565 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS A Union of equality : EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025                      
 
 
We need to talk about racism. And we need to act. It is always possible to change direction if 
there is a will to do so. I am glad to live in a society that condemns racism. But we should not 
stop there. The motto of our European Union is: ‘United in diversity’. Our task it to live up to 
these words, and to fulfil their meaning.  

Commission President von der Leyen (speech to the European Parliament, 17 June 2020) 

1.  Introduction: living up to ‘United in diversity’ 

Discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin1 is prohibited in the European Union 
(EU). Yet such discrimination persists in our society. It is not enough to be against racism. 
We have to be active against it. 
Racism2 damages society in many different ways. Most directly, it means that a large number 
of  people  living  in  Europe  face  discrimination,  affecting  their  human  dignity,  their  life 
opportunities,  their  prosperity  and  their  well-being,  and  often  also  their  personal  safety. 
Discrimination also means a failure to uphold core EU values. Everyone in the EU should be 
able  to  enjoy  their  fundamental  rights  and  freedoms,  and  equal  participation  in  society, 
irrespective  of  their  racial3  or  ethnic  origin4.  Our  social,  political  and  economic  strength 
comes from our unity in diversity – racism weakens us all. The EU can and must do more to 
ensure equal treatment and equality for all.  

There  is  now  a  moment  of  reckoning.  Over  half  of  Europeans  believe  that  such 
discrimination  is  widespread  in  their  country5.  The  conflict  between  our  values  of  equality 
and  the  reality  of  ingrained  racism  cannot  be  ignored:  the  global  Black  Lives  Matter 
movement  has  acted  as  a  stark  reminder.  It  is  time  to  acknowledge  and  act  against  the 
prevalence of racism and racial discrimination, to consider what we can do, engaging at local, 
national, EU and international levels. The EU is built on diversity and on fostering a society 
of pluralism, tolerance and non-discrimination: we need to act not only out of responsibility, 
but also to be true to our values. Upholding values starts at home, in our own institution. The 
Commission will take measures to significantly improve the diversity of its staff and ensure 
that all can equally thrive and contribute in the working environment. 

Racism  comes  in  different  forms.  Overt  expressions  of  individual  racism  and  racial 
discrimination are the most obvious. All too often, racial or ethnic origin is used as a ground 
to discriminate – the COVID-19 pandemic and the aftermath of terrorist attacks are just the 
most recent cases where blame has been unjustly directed at people with a minority racial or 
ethnic background. People of Asian and African descent, Muslims, Jewish and Roma people 
have  all  suffered  from  intolerance.  But  other,  less  explicit  forms  of  racism  and  racial 
discrimination, such as those based on unconscious bias, can be equally damaging. Racist and 

1   Direct and indirect discrimination based on racial or ethnic origin is defined in Article 2 of Council Directive 
2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of 
racial or ethnic origin (the ‘Racial Equality Directive’).  

2   According to the Council of Europe’s European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, racism “shall 
mean  the  belief  that  a  ground  such  as  “race”,  colour,  language,  religion,  nationality  or  national  or  ethnic 
origin  justifies  contempt  for  a  person  or  a  group  of  persons,  or  the  notion  of  superiority  of  a  person  or  a 
group of persons”. 

3   The  use  of  the  term  ‘racial  origin’  does  not  imply  an  acceptance  of  theories  that  attempt  to  determine  the 

existence of separate human races. 

4   On  the  notion  of  ethnicity,  see  judgment  of  16  July  2015,  CHEZ  Razpredelenie  Bulgaria,  C‑ 83/14, 

EU:C:2015:480, paragraph 46. 

5   Eurobarometer 2019; Discrimination in the EU.  

1 

 
 
 
                                                 
discriminatory  behaviours  can  be  embedded  in  social,  financial  and  political  institutions, 
impacting on the levers of power and on policy-making. This structural racism  perpetuates 
the barriers placed in the way of citizens solely due to their racial or ethnic origin. Every day, 
people  affected  by  racism  can  feel  its  impact  on  their  access  to  jobs,  healthcare,  housing, 
financing or education, as well as cases of violence.  

There  are  different  forms  of  racism,  for  example  anti-black  racism,  antigypsyism, 
antisemitism and anti-Asian racism, that link to religion or belief in cases such anti-Muslim 
hatred. All share the reality that the value of a person is undermined by stereotypes based on 
prejudice. In addition to religion or belief, racism can also be combined with discrimination 
and  hatred  on  other  grounds,  including  gender,  sexual  orientation,  age,  and  disability  or 
against migrants. This needs to be taken into account through an intersectional6 approach. 

The EU has legal instruments in place and a comprehensive policy to build a true Union of 
equality.  This  is  now  being  reinforced  in  specific  areas  of  equality7.  The  Commission  will 
complement these thematic efforts by putting forward an overarching strategy to make sure 
that the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights is applied effectively in Member States and that 
charter rights, including equality and non-discrimination, are a reality for all.   

This  action  plan  sets  out  a  series  of  measures  to  step  up  action,  to  help  lift  the  voices  of 
people with a minority racial or ethnic background, and to bring together actors at all levels 
in a common endeavour to address racism more effectively and build a life free from racism 
and discrimination for all.   

2.  Racism by individuals – tackling the damage to people and society 

Source: FRA (2017a), Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey – main results 

6   According to  Article 10 of the Treaty on the  Functioning  of the European Union (TFEU),  when  ‘defining 
and  implementing  its  policies  and  activities,  the  Union  shall  aim  to  combat  discrimination  based  on  sex, 
racial  or  ethnic  origin,  religion  or  belief,  disability,  age  or  sexual  orientation’.  The  European  Institute  for 
Gender Equality defines ‘intersectionality’ as an ‘analytical tool for studying, understanding and responding 
to the  ways in  which sex and gender intersect  with other personal characteristics/identities,  and how these 
intersections contribute to unique experiences of discrimination’. This definition applies equally to any form 
of discrimination.   

7   These  include  the  Communication  A  Union  of  Equality:  Gender  Equality  Strategy  2020-2025, 
(COM(2020)152  final),  as  well  as  targeted  approaches  for  Roma  and  LGBTI+  equality  to  follow  this 
autumn.  In  addition,  an  EU  action  plan  on  integration  and  inclusion  is  planned  for  2020,  a  new  disability 
rights strategy for 2021 as well as work against antisemitism. 

2 

 
 
 
  
 
                                                 
The  EU  Agency  for  Fundamental  Rights (FRA)  has conducted  a  wide  range  of surveys  pointing  to 
high  levels  of  discrimination  in  the  EU8.  These  have  also identified  the  areas of  life  where  racial 
discrimination is felt most strongly.  

Discrimination  in  the  labour  market  is  a  concern  not  only  when  looking  for  a  job  but  also  at  work 
where  22%  of  respondents  felt  discriminated  against  due  to  their  ethnic  origin  or  immigrant 
background. 

The triggers for discrimination when trying to rent or buy an apartment or house seeking were names 
(44%),  followed  by  skin  colour  or  physical  appearance  (40%),  and  citizenship  (22%).  As  regards 
access to goods and services (public administration, public transport, shops, restaurants, etc.), Roma 
people (28%) and people of North African descent (27%) faced the highest level of discrimination. 
Racial  discrimination  was  less  common  in  healthcare  (3%  in  the  past  year),  though  with  major 
differences between different groups: discrimination was highest among Roma people (8%), who also 
have a lower life expectancy compared to the general population. 

Survey  data  also  show  that  racial  considerations  influence  the  likelihood  of  being  stopped  by  the 
police. Of the 14 % of the people surveyed who said they had been stopped by the police in the last 
year, 40 % perceived that the last stop was because of their ethnic origin or immigrant background. 

Overall, 3 % of respondents stated that they experienced racist violence in the past year, with another 
24  %  experiencing  racist  harassment  in  that  period9.  Nearly  half  (47%)  of  Jewish  respondents 
worried about becoming a victim of an antisemitic verbal insult or harassment, while over one third 
(40%)  worry  about  being  physically  attacked  in  public  spaces10.  Hate-motivated  violence  and 
harassment often remains unreported, however. FRA survey data on people of African descent show, 
for example, that nearly two thirds (64 %) of victims of racist violence did not report the most recent 
incident they experienced to the police or any other organisation or service11. 

2.1.  Tackling racism and racial discrimination through legislation: review and action 

Today, action to combat discrimination, racism, xenophobia, and other types of intolerance at 
European  level  rests  on  an  established  EU  legal  framework.  It  is  based  on  a  number  of 
provisions  of  the  Treaties12  as  well  as  the  general  principles  of  non-discrimination  and 
equality, also reaffirmed in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights13. 

While  countering  racism  requires  determined  action  across  many  fields,  the  protection 
offered  by  the  law  is  critical.  A  comprehensive  system  of  protection  against  discrimination 
requires first  and  foremost  the effective enforcement  of the legal  framework, to  ensure  that 
individual rights  and obligations are respected in practice.  It also means ensuring that there 
are no gaps in this protection. Recent events highlighting racial tensions have raised concerns 
that  the  legal  protections  against  racial  or  ethnic  discrimination  are  not  effectively 
implemented. This is also linked to concerns about the relationship between law enforcement 
bodies and minorities (see below section 2.2). 

8   The  figures  in  the  box  feature  the  following  FRA  surveys:  Second  European  Union  Minorities  and 
Discrimination  Survey  –  main  results  (2017);  Second  European  Union  Minorities  and  Discrimination 
Survey. Muslims – Selected findings (2017); Experiences and perceptions of antisemitism  - Second survey 
on  discrimination  and  hate  crime  against  Jews  in  the  EU  (2018);  Second  European  Union  Minorities  and 
Discrimination Survey Roma – Selected findings (2016); Being Black in the EU (2018). 
9   FRA: Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey – main results (2017). 
10   FRA: Experiences and perceptions of antisemitism - Second survey on discrimination and hate crime against 

Jews in the EU (2018). 

11   FRA: Being Black in the EU (2018). 
12   Articles 2 and 10 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU), Articles 19 and 67(3) TFEU. 
13   In particular, Articles 20 and 21. 

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The  Commission  will  undertake  a  comprehensive  assessment  of  the  existing  legal 
framework to determine how to improve implementation, whether it remains fit for purpose, 
and whether there are gaps to be filled. This assessment will draw on the ongoing monitoring 
of the transposition and  implementation  of EU legislation, in  particular its regular dialogue 
with  Member  States  and  its  upcoming  report  on  the  implementation  of  the  Racial  Equality 
Directive.  Stakeholder  feedback,  in  particular  from  those  representing  the  concerns  of  the 
persons affected by  racism and racial discrimination, will also  be  essential  to  identify  what 
needs to change to maximise the extent and impact of EU action. 

Racial Equality Directive and equality bodies  
The Racial Equality Directive14 has shaped the legal protection against discrimination on the 
grounds  of  racial  or  ethnic  origin  for  over  two  decades.  It  prohibits  direct  and  indirect 
discrimination  on  the  grounds  of  racial  or  ethnic  origin  in  the  areas  of  employment  and 
occupation, education, social protection including healthcare, social advantage, and access to 
and supply of goods and services available to the public, including housing. In recent years, 
the  Commission  has  reinforced  the  monitoring  of  its  implementation.  A  particular  focus 
was put on discrimination against Roma children in education. In 2021, the Commission will 
report  on  the  application15  of  the  Directive  and  would  follow  up  with  any  possible 
legislation  by  2022.  The  report  will  assess  what  lessons  should  be  drawn  from  the 
Directive’s implementation and identify any gaps: one area to be looked at specifically in the 
context of possible new legislation is law enforcement16. The report will also help to inform 
continued action to prioritise infringement proceedings that have a major impact.  

The  Directive  requires  all  Member  States  to  designate  a  body  to  provide  independent 
assistance to victims of discrimination, promote equality, conduct independent surveys, and 
issue  independent  reports  and  recommendations.  These  equality  bodies  are  essential  for 
ensuring that individuals and groups facing discrimination can enjoy their rights in full: they 
should  be  able  to  effectively  perform  the  tasks  assigned  to  them  under  EU  legislation.  EU 
law, however, leaves discretion to Member States on the powers and functioning of equality 
bodies.  This  results  in  major  differences  between  national  equality  bodies,  which  the 
Commission  sought  to  mitigate  in  a  Recommendation  on  standards  for  equality  bodies  in 
201817.  The  role  and  independence  of  equality  bodies  and  the  potential  need  for  new 
legislation  to  strengthen  the  role  of  these  bodies  will  be  an  important  theme  in  the  2021 
report.  
The Commission also encourages Member States to enable strategic litigation18 at national 
level, in line with the Commission’s Recommendation on standards for equality bodies and in 
accordance with  their national  procedural  rules. Strategic litigation is  key  for raising public 
awareness and advancing in the clarification and protection of human rights. 

Currently,  EU  anti-discrimination 
the  spheres  of  employment, 
occupational and vocational training only applies to sex and racial or ethnic origin19. There is 

legislation  beyond 

14  Council Directive 2000/43/EC.  
15   This report will be presented jointly with the report on Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 

establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation. 

16   See section 2.2 on countering discrimination by law enforcement authorities. 
17   Commission Recommendation (EU)2018/951 of 22 June 2018 on standards for equality bodies. 
18   Strategic litigation is used to select suitable cases (‘test cases’) to bring to court in order to achieve a specific 
outcome. The intention is that these legal proceedings will have a positive broader impact on law and policy 
development as well as setting a precedent for the outcome in similar cases.  

19   Council  Directive  2000/43/EC  of  29  June  2000  implementing  the  principle  of  equal  treatment  between 
persons  irrespective  of  racial  or  ethnic  origin;  Council  Directive  2004/113/EC  of  13  December  2004 

4 

 
                                                 
 
no horizontal approach covering all grounds of discrimination. To close the gaps in protection 
against  any  form  of  discrimination,  the  Commission  will  continue  to  encourage  progress 
towards  the  required  unanimity  in  the  Council  to  adopt  its  2008  proposal  to  implement 
equal  treatment  between  persons  irrespective  of  religion  or  belief,  disability,  age  or 
sexual orientation20.  

Framework  Decision  on  combating  racism  and  xenophobia  and  other  legal  means  to 
combat racism  

The  Framework  Decision  on  combating  racism  and  xenophobia  by  means  of  criminal 
law21 aims to ensure that serious manifestations of racism and xenophobia are punishable by 
effective,  proportionate  and  dissuasive  criminal  penalties  throughout  the  EU.  The  effective 
implementation of this instrument is key for ensuring that hate speech and hate crimes receive 
an effective criminal response and that victims of crimes are recognised and provided with an 
effective  remedy.  The  Framework  Decision  is  complemented  by  the  Victims’  Rights 
Directive22,  which  amongst  other  things  aims  to  ensure  justice,  protection  and  support  for 
victims of hate crimes and hate speech. 
Since 201423, the Commission has monitored the transposition of the Framework Decision in 
the legal systems of the EU Member States. Serious concerns exist about the extent to which 
national  criminal  codes  correctly  criminalise  hate  speech  and  hate  crimes.  As  a  matter  of 
priority,  the  Commission  will  make  a  comprehensive  effort  to  ensure  a  full  and  correct 
transposition and implementation  of the  Framework Decision across the EU, particularly 
where  the  definition  of  hate  speech  or  the  criminalisation  of  hate  crime  are  not  correctly 
transposed into national law and where necessary launch infringement procedures.  

Racism  is  also  experienced  online.  The  Framework  Decision  requires  Member  States  to 
criminalise public incitement to violence or hatred, on the grounds of colour, religion, descent 
or national or racial or ethnic origin, including when committed online. Yet still illegal hate 
speech  online  continues  to  increase  and  racist  hate  speech  is  a  common  occurance24.  Four 
years  ago  the  Commission  launched  the  code  of  conduct  on  countering  illegal  hate  speech 
online, with a voluntary commitment by information technology (IT) platforms to review and 
if necessary remove illegal hate speech content25. The fifth evaluation on the code shows that 

implementing the principle of equal treatment between men and women in the access to and supply of goods 
and services.  

20   COM(2008) 426 final. 
21   Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA of 28 November 2008 on combating racism and xenophobia by 
means  of  criminal  law.  This  requires  Member  States  to  criminalise  the  public  incitement  to  violence  or 
hatred, on grounds of race, colour, religion, descent or national or ethnic origin (including online). 

22   Directive 2012/29/EU requires Member States to ensure a fair and non-discriminatory treatment of victims 
of crime, with particular attention to victims of crime committed with a bias or discriminatory motive. See 
the 2017 paper on key principles of victims’ support for the links between the Victims’ Rights Directive and 
the protection afforded against hate crimes; http://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/just/document.cfm?doc_id=48874 
23   On 1 December 2014, the Commission acquired powers to oversee the transposition of framework decisions 
by  Member  States,  including  this  instrument.  See  also  the  2014  Report  from  the  Commission  to  the 
European Parliament and the Council on the implementation of Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA 
on  combating  certain  forms  and  expressions  of  racism  and  xenophobia  by  means  of  criminal  law  (COM 
(2014) 27 final). 

24   A  Eurobarometer  conducted  in  2016  showed  that  almost  half  of  the  people  that  participate  in  online 
discussions  hesitate  to  engage  in  online  debates  because  of  hate  and  threats:  https://ec.europa.eu/digital-
single-market/en/news/media-pluralism-and-democracy-special-eurobarometer-452  

25   The  experience  gathered  under  the  code  of  conduct  informed  the  work  of  the  Commission  on  the 
Recommendation of 1 March 2018 on measures to effectively tackle illegal content online (C (2018) 1177). 

5 

 
                                                                                                                                                        
considerable  progress  has  been  achieved  on  removing  online  hate  speech26,  platforms  still 
need  to  improve  on  transparency  and  feedback  to  users.  The  Commission  will  continue  to 
cooperate  with  IT  companies  and  extend  these  efforts  to  other  social  media  platforms, 
including  those  that  are  mainly  used  by  children  and  adolescents,  as  well  as  continuing  to 
promote practical steps to counter online hate speech and promote acceptance of diversity.  

A next step will come with the digital services act, which would increase and harmonise the 
responsibilities  of  online  platforms  and  information  service  providers  and  reinforce  the 
oversight  of  platforms’  content  policies  in  the  EU27.  Options  under  consideration  include 
obligations  to  put  in  place  notice  and  action  systems  as  well  as  reporting  and  transparency 
obligations requiring platforms to provide information on how they deal with illegal content 
including  hate  speech.  This  would  not  only  promote  content  moderation  policies  that 
safeguard freedom of expression online, but also offer a basis for gathering data on the extent 
and  types  of  racist  hate  speech  online,  helping  civil  society  and  policymakers  to  formulate 
policies that effectively target racism. 

Under  the  umbrella  of  the  EU  Internet  Forum,  the  Commission  is  working  with  Member 
States and internet companies on a reference list of prohibited violent extremist symbols and 
groups to be used on a voluntary basis to inform their content moderation policies. It is to be 
presented at the EU Internet Forum Ministerial in December 2020. 
The  Audiovisual  Media  Services  Directive28  sets  out  requirements  protecting  users  of 
audiovisual  media  services  and  video  sharing  platforms  from  incitement  to  violence  or 
hatred,  as  well  as  from  discriminatory  audiovisual    commercial  communications.  It  also 
obliges video sharing platforms to take appropriate measures to protect users from racist and 
xenophobic content.  

It should be emphasised that any measures that limit the right to freedom of expression must 
respect the requirements set out in Articles 11 and 52 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, 
where applicable, and the constitutional traditions of the Member States.  

The Commission will: 

report on the implementation of the Racial Equality Directive in 2021; 

- 
-  present,  by  2022,  any  legislation  required  to  address  shortcomings,  including  to 

- 

strengthen the role and independence of equality bodies; 
ensure a full and correct transposition and implementation of the Framework Decision 
on racism and xenophobia across the EU, including through infringement procedures. 

The Commission encourages the Member States to: 

- 
- 

ensure that EU law is fully transposed and properly applied in Member States; 
swiftly  reach  an  agreement  on  the  2008  Commission  proposal  to  implement  equal 
treatment  between  persons  irrespective  of  religion  or  belief,  disability,  age  or  sexual 
orientation. 

26   According  to  the  results  of  the  latest  monitoring  exercise  published  by  the  Commission  in  June  2020,  IT 
companies  assess  90%  of  flagged  content  within  24  hours  and  remove  71%  of  the  content  deemed  to  be 
is  available  at: 
illegal  hate  speech.  More  details, 
https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/codeofconduct_2020_factsheet_12.pdf  

including  grounds 

reported  hatred 

for 

27   Communication Shaping Europe's digital future - COM(2020) 67 
28    Directive  (EU)  2018/1808  of  14  November  2018  amending  Directive  2010/13/EU  on  the  coordination  of 
certain  provisions  laid  down  by  law,  regulation  or  administrative  action  in  Member  States  concerning  the 
provision of audiovisual media services (Audiovisual Media Services Directive). The Directive encourages 
the use of co-regulation and self-regulation, to the extent permitted by the Member States’ legal systems. 

6 

 
                                                 
2.2.  Beyond EU legislation - doing more to tackle racism in everyday life 

Countering discrimination by law enforcement authorities  

Efficient  policing  and  respect  for  fundamental  rights  are  complementary.  Law  enforcement 
authorities  are  key  actors  in  ensuring  that  law  is  obeyed  and  that  security  is  ensured. 
Recognising  diversity  and  ensuring  fair  law  enforcement  is  essential  to  fighting  racism. 
However,  reports  of  discrimination  are  long  standing:  the  FRA  has  included  unlawful 
profiling  and  police  action  in  its  research29.  Such  discrimination  can  damage  trust  in  the 
authorities  and  lead  to  other  negative  outcomes,  such  as  underreporting  of  crimes  and 
resistance to public authority.  

EU agencies, such as the FRA and the Agency for Law Enforcement Training (CEPOL) have 
already  contributed  significant  resources30  to  enhance  the  capacity  of  Member  States  to 
ensure that fundamental rights and principles are respected by state actors, in particular in the 
area  of  non-discrimination.  International  organisations  have  also  contributed  to  that 
objective31.    

Profiling  is  commonly,  and  legitimately,  used  by  law  enforcement  officers  to  prevent, 
investigate  and  prosecute  criminal  offences.  However,  profiling  that  results 
in 
discrimination32  on  the  basis  of  special  categories  of  personal  data,  such  as  data  revealing 
racial  or  ethnic  origin,  is  illegal33.  In  July  2020,  the  Council  of  Europe’s  European 
Commission  against  Racism  and  Intolerance  (ECRI)  specifically  warned  against  racial 
profiling34.  

Through  the  High  level  group  on  combating  racism,  xenophobia  and  other  forms  of 
intolerance,  the  Commission  will  support  Member  States  in  preventing  discriminatory 
attitudes  within  law  enforcement,  developing  the  necessary  skills  for  investigation  and 
prosecution against hate crimes and ensuring a fair and adequate treatment of victims35. This 
will include a mapping of the main gaps and needs in EU Member States, and training action 
to detect and prosecute hate crime. The FRA will be invited to collect and disseminate good 
practices promoting fair policing, building on their existing training manual36 and guide on 
preventing unlawful profiling37. The agency should also continue to gather and publish data 
on  police  attitudes  towards  minorities.  CEPOL  should  step  up  its  work  on  comprehensive 
training  packages  on  human  rights,  ethics  and  racism,  and  sharpen  awareness  of  fair  and 

29   Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey – main results (2017)  
30   See, for example, an overview of the resources and initiatives to support hate crime training programmes in 

the EU Member States, available at: http://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/document.cfm?doc_id=43147  

31   Council of Europe; OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. 
32   ‘Profiling’  involves  categorising  people  according  to  their  (perceived)  personal  characteristics,  which  can 
include  racial or ethnic origin, skin colour, religion or nationality. While police officers can consider such 
characteristics when stopping an individual, they cannot use any of these characteristics as the sole or main 
criterion  to  stop  the  individual.  Profiling  that  is  based  solely  or  mainly  on  one  or  more  protected 
characteristics amounts to direct discrimination, and therefore violates the individual’s rights and freedoms 
and is unlawful (FRA (2018), Preventing unlawful profiling today and in the future: a guide). 

33   Article 11(3) of Directive (EU) 2016/680 of 27 April 2016 on the protection of natural persons with regard 
to the processing of personal data by competent authorities for the purposes of the prevention, investigation, 
detection or prosecution of criminal offences or the execution of criminal penalties. 

34   See:  https://www.coe.int/en/web/european-commission-against-racism-and-intolerance/-/ecri-warns-against-

racial-profiling-in-policing-and-calls-for-a-systemic-response-to-address-racism-in-all-areas  

35   In  particular  through  the  new  workstream  developed  by  the  Commission’s  Working  group  on  hate  crime 

training and capacity building for national law enforcement. 

36   FRA (2013), Fundamental rights-based police training – A manual for police trainers. 
37   FRA (2018), Preventing unlawful profiling today and in the future: a guide. 

7 

 
                                                 
inclusive  policing  among  mid-level  and  senior  police  officers  and  law  enforcement 
representatives38.  
Under-reporting  of  hate  crime  with  a  racist  motive39  is  a  serious  obstacle  to  law 
enforcement  and  policy-making.  The  recent  EU  strategy  on  victims’  rights40  acknowledges 
that  victims  of  crime  belonging  to  disadvantaged  or  vulnerable  communities  or  minorities 
may have low trust in public authorities, which prevents them from reporting crime. A safe 
environment for victims to report crime is one of the strategy’s five key priorities. Diversity 
among staff in law enforcement services and inclusive policing can reinforce the level of trust 
in law enforcement authorities and thus improve crime reporting. ECRI strongly encouraged 
Member States to develop recruitment procedures which ensure that the composition of the 
police reflects the diversity of the population, as well as frameworks for dialogue between the 
police  and  members  of  minority  groups.  Trust  and  confidence  are  key  to  enhance  the 
cooperation of all and hence the efficacy of law enforcement. The existing Working group on 
hate  crime  recording,  data  collection  and  encouraging  reporting  will  develop  key  guiding 
principles on how to encourage victims to report hate crime, and FRA will issue a report on 
encouraging hate crime reporting in 2021.  

Safety and security 

Some Member States have taken action to ban racist groups and their symbols, often under 
hate crime, hate speech or terrorism legislation, or have established criminal sanctions linked 
to  the  denial  of  crimes  against  humanity  and/or  the  nazi  and  fascist  period  as  well  as 
propaganda  for  terrorist  groups.  The  Commission  will  work  together  with  Member  States 
towards  a  better  common  understanding  on  how  to  address  violent  extremist  groups.  This 
includes  a  mapping  of  national  responses  to  violent  extremism  to  be  presented  to  the 
relevant Council working groups in November 2020. Work with Member States will continue 
to  identify  gaps,  best  practices  and  recommendations  in  tackling  violent  extremism,  to  be 
presented in  in early 2021. 

Better protection of places where people congregate must be ensured. Although primarily an 
issue  for  Member  States,  the  Commission  has  stepped  up  its  efforts  under  the  2017  action 
plan  to  support  the  protection  of  public  spaces41.  In  recent  years,  both  in  Europe  and 
worldwide, several terrorist attacks targeted people in places of worship, often motivated by 
racial  hatred42.  The  security  union  strategy43  explained  how  the  Commission  would  work 
with both the private sector and regional and local authorities to minimise the risks to people 
in public spaces. 

38   For example, the European Police Chiefs Convention. A summer academy for mid-level police officers and 

future leaders could also be organised by CEPOL. 

39   According to the Second European Union Minorities and Discrimination Survey – main results (2017), 28% 
of respondents  who experienced hate-motivated physical attacks reported the  most recent incident of hate-
motivated  violence  in  the  five  years  before  the  survey  to  the  police  or  to  another  organisation  or  service. 
Reasons  for  under-reporting  identified  in  FRA  surveys  include  a  feeling  that  reporting  would  not  change 
anything (34%) and a lack of trust in or fear of the police (28%). FRA (2018), Being Black in the EU. 

40   COM(2020) 258 final. 
41   COM  (2017)  612  final.  The  Commission  provides  a  platform  for  exchange  on  good  practices  in  the  EU 

Forum on the protection of public spaces and provides funding for the protection of public spaces. 

42   For instance, the Christchurch, New Zealand, mosque attacks in March 2019, the attacks on churches in Sri 

Lanka in April 2019 or the synagogue shooting in Halle, Germany, in October 2019. 

43   COM(2020) 605 final. 

8 

 
                                                 
Risks in new technologies 

Among  the  many  opportunities  it  offers,  the  digital  transition  and  development  of  new 
technologies  can  be  used  to  strengthen  the  fight  against  racism.  But  it  can  also  bring  new 
challenges  to  racial  equality  and  non-discrimination  and  equality  of  opportunities  more 
generally,  if  not  sufficiently  and  adequately  framed.  The  Commission’s  white  paper  on 
artificial  intelligence  (AI)44  has  set  out  how  certain  uses  of  this  fast-developing  technology 
entail  a  number  of  potential  risks.  The  use  of  algorithms  can  perpetuate  or  even  stimulate 
racial bias if data to train algorithms does not reflect the diversity of EU society. 

As  an  example,  studies  have  demonstrated  that  AI-based  facial  recognition  algorithms  can 
exhibit high misclassification rates when used on some demographic groups, such as women 
and people with a minority racial or ethnic background45. This can lead to biased results and 
ultimately  to  discrimination46.  The  Commission  and  the  agency  EU-LISA  are  working  on 
facial  recognition  technologies  to  be  used  in  the  EU’s  own  large  IT  systems  for  border 
management and security47.  

EU data protection rules already contain a number of safeguards regarding the processing of 
biometric  data  for  the  purpose  of  uniquely  identifying  a  natural  person.  The  forthcoming 
proposal for a horizontal legislative framework on AI will specifically address the risk of 
bias and discrimination  built  in  AI systems.  It  is expected to  propose specific  requirements 
for the quality of  training datasets  and testing procedures for bias detection  and correction 
that  will  serve  to  prevent  negative  discriminatory  effects  early  on,  and  ensure  continuous 
monitoring and vigilance for compliance with existing equality legislation throughout the AI 
lifecycle. Remote biometric identification and other intrusive surveillance technology could 
be considered among high-risk AI applications that would need to fulfil specific requirements 
and undergo an ex ante conformity assessment.  

Employment, education, health and housing  

Despite  the  advanced  legal  framework  against  discrimination,  inequalities  in  access  to 
employment, education, healthcare and housing persist and legislation needs to be backed up 
by  policy  measures.  Where  legal  protection  is  not  enough,  the  Commission  will  combat 
racism also through policy and funding programmes.  

The European Pillar of Social Rights aims at bringing fairness to every citizen’s daily life, 
whether they are learning, working, looking for a job or in retirement; living in a city or in a 
rural area; irrespective of any personal characteristics, including racial or ethnic origin.  The 
action plan on the European Pillar of Social Rights  - to be presented by the Commission in 
2021 - will further support equality in the labour market, including for people with a minority 
racial or ethnic background48. Also in 2021, the Commission will present a Child Guarantee 
that  will  aim  at  ensuring  a  better  social  inclusion  of  all  children  in  need  and  ensure  their 
access to key services.  

44   Commission  white  paper  on  artificial  intelligence  -  A  European  approach  to  excellence  and  trust 

(COM(2020) 65 final). 

45   See ‘Gender Shades: Intersectional Accuracy Disparities in Commercial Gender Classiﬁcation’.   
46   See  FRA,  ‘Facial  recognition  technology:  fundamental  rights  considerations  in  the  context  of  law 

enforcement’. 

47   This will build on existing work by the Joint Research Centre. The protocol will first be developed for the 
future shared biometric matching system, in the context of the entry exit system, and will be extended to the 
schengen information system in a subsequent stage. 

48   Communication on A strong social Europe for just transitions (COM(2020) 14 final). 

9 

 
                                                 
A  prosperous  and  social  Europe  depends  on  us  all.  The  COVID-19  crisis  has,  however, 
exposed or even exacerbated inequalities. Making full use of the possibilities offered by Next 
Generation  EU  and  the  Technical  Support  Instrument  for  structural  reforms,  the 
Commission will work with Member States to ensure that support in areas such as the labour 
market,  education  and  training,  social  protection,  healthcare  and  housing  contribute  to 
equality.   

In  the  2021-2027  programming  period,  EU  funds  will  support  Member  States’  efforts  to 
promote social inclusion49 by ensuring equal opportunities for all and tackling discrimination. 
EU  funds  will  promote  infrastructure  development  and  equal  access  to  the  labour  market, 
health-  and  social  care,  housing  and  high  quality,  non-segregated  and  inclusive  services  in 
education and training, for all, in particular for disadvantaged groups.  

-  Employment 

In the area of employment, the prohibition of discrimination covers the grounds of sex, racial 
or  ethnic  origin,  disability,  age,  sexual  orientation,  and  religion  or  belief.  Nevertheless, 
discrimination at work or when looking for work is widespread; it can take many forms and 
affects  certain  groups  more  than  others50.  People  of  African  descent,  for  example,  see  a 
particularly  strong  disconnect  between  the  quality  of  their  employment  and  their  level  of 
education,  manifesting  in  a  lower  paid  work  rate  among  those  with  a  tertiary  degree 
compared to the general population51. There is evidence that candidates who openly identify 
as Muslim in their curriculum vitae  receive fewer invitations to job interviews compared to 
equally  qualified  candidates  with  a  ‘religiously  neutral’curriculum  vitae52.  There  is  also  a 
much  higher  rate  of  young  people  of  North  African  origin,  African  descent  or  from  Roma 
communities  not  in  work,  education  or  training,  compared  to  the  general  population53. 
Challenges  are  likely  to  worsen  with  the  COVID-19  crisis,  as  economic  downturns  tend  to 
exacerbate inequalities.  In this respect, the full implementation and enforcement of existing 
legal  instruments  is  key.  The  action  plan  on  the  European  Pillar  of  Social  Rights  will  also 
contribute to better addressing discrimination in the area of employment.     

Moreover, having the right skills means being able to more easily get a job, stay employed 
and navigate job transitions. This requires equal access to additional upskilling opportunities 
for all people, regardless of racial or ethnic origin as well as other grounds of discrimination. 
The Commission has recently adopted a European skills agenda54 with social fairness as a 
cornerstone, including a Council Recommendation on vocational education and training 
(VET)  which  calls  on  VET  programmes  to  be  inclusive  for  vulnerable  groups,  including 

49  Notably the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and the European Regional and Development Fund (ERDF). 
Under  the  proposed  ESF+,  Member  States  are  to  allocate  at  least  25%  of  ESF+  funding  to  measures 
fostering social inclusion and targeting those most in need. An overall target of 4% is also the ambition for 
supporting  the  most  vulnerable.  Apart  from  the  ESF+  specific  objective,  several  other  EU  funding 
instruments can be used for the integration of marginalised communities. 

50   See  FRA  (2017a)  and  FRA  (2017b).  For  example,  when  asked  about  their  experiences  in  the  12  months 
before  survey,  13%  of  Muslim  respondents  replied  that  they  felt  discriminated  against  when  looking  for 
work.  Similar  experiences  of  discrimination  when  looking  for  work  were  found  among  16%  of  Roma 
respondents, and 15% of North Africans. 

51   FRA (2018), Being Black in the EU. 
52   See  the  Horizon  2020  research  project  on  growth,  equal  opportunities,  migration  and  markets’  (GEMM): 

http://gemm2020.eu/  

53   For example, up to 76% of young people of African descent in Austria are not in work, education or training, 

compared to 8% among the general population (FRA (2018), Being Black in the EU). 

54   Communication  European  Skills  Agenda  for  sustainable  competitiveness,  social  fairness  and  resilience 

(COM(2020) 274 final). 

10 

 
                                                 
people  with  a  minority  racial  or  ethnic  background55.  Young  people  from  disadvantaged 
groups,  such  as  youth  with  a  minority  racial  or  ethnic  background  or  migrant  youth  face 
additional barriers to labour market entry. The reinforced Youth Guarantee recognises this 
problem and recommends that Member States step up outreach to the most vulnerable young 
people,  and  pay  due  attention  to  all  forms  of  discrimination56.  The  European  Network  of 
Public Employment Services (PES) will map approaches to non-discrimination in the public 
employment  services  across  the  EU  and  foster  mutual  learning  on  this  basis57.  Social 
enterprises,  and  social  economy  more  broadly,  can  also  be  trailblazers  in  the  movement 
against  racial  inequality  and  their  role  will  be  addressed  in  the  European  action  plan  for 
social economy to be presented by the Commission in 2021.  

-  Education 

In line with the Racial Equality Directive, children from all racial or ethnic backgrounds must 
have  equal  access  to  education.  Teachers  must  be  trained  to  work  with  all  children  and  be 
sensitive  to  the  needs  of  pupils  from  different  backgrounds,  including  on  issues  relating  to 
racial  discrimination.  Schools  should  be  safe  havens,  free from  bullying,  racism  and 
discrimination. Children should be taught early about equality, respect and inclusion and be 
empowered to promote such values among their peers and in their communities 58.  

While responsibility for  the content and organisation of education and training systems  lies 
with  Member  States,  strengthening  inclusive  education  is  one  of  the  priorities  for  EU 
cooperation. Inclusion and fairness in education will be among the priority dimensions of the 
European  Education  Area.  This  imperative  for  inclusion  and  fairness  equally  applies  to 
digital  learning  and  education,  under  the  updated  digital  education  action  plan  to  be 
presented  this  year.  The  Commission  will  present  in  2021  a  comprehensive  strategy  on  the 
rights  of  the  child,  which  will  include  actions  tackling  racism  and  discrimination.  Schools 
have  an  instrumental  role  in  helping  to  reduce  racial  stereotyping  and  prejudice  among 
children.       

Young people can also  play an important role in combating racism and discrimination. The 
Commission together with the Member States collected young Europeans voices through the 
EU youth dialogue processs, which led to 11 European youth goals59. These present a vision 
for  a  Europe  that  enables  young  people  to  realise  their  full  potential,  promote  equality  and 
inclusive societies. 

Erasmus+ finances projects contributing to the integration of people with a minority racial or 
ethnic  background60.  Likewise,  the  European  Solidarity  Corps  can  promote  solidarity 
activities  geared  towards  fighting  racism  and  discrimination,  and  broad  participation61.  The 

55   COM(2020) 275 final. 
56   Proposal  for  a  Council  Recommendation  on  a  Bridge  to  Jobs  –  Reinforcing  the  Youth  Guarantee 

(COM(2020)277 final). 

57   Communication  Youth  Employment  Support:  a  Bridge  to  Jobs  for  the  Next  Generation  (COM(2020)  276 

final). 

58   https://rm.coe.int/ecri-general-policy-recommendation-no-10-key-topics-combating-racism-a/16808b75f7.  
59   https://ec.europa.eu/youth/policy/youth-strategy/youthgoals_;  these are included in  the EU’s  youth  strategy 

2019-2027.  

60   Erasmus+ has supported some 26 000 projects (involving over 708 000 participants) addressing topics such 

as equality and non-discrimination, intercultural/interreligious dialogue and inclusion, since 2014. 

61   Since  2018,  2100  projects  have  been  supported  under  the  European  Solidarity  Corps  on  these  topics, 

involving more than 14 500 young people. 

11 

 
                                                 
future  programmes62  will  ensure  that  efforts  are  made  to  promote  social  inclusion  and 
improve  outreach  to  people  with  fewer  opportunities,  inter  alia,  by  addressing  the  barriers 
faced  by  under-represented  groups  and  minorities  in  accessing  the  opportunities  offered  by 
the programmes, and equipping project organisers and participants for interacting sensitively 
with people from different backgrounds.  
The  Radicalisation  Awareness  Network63  will  support  effort  among  teachers,  youth 
workers  and  the  wider  community  of  all  age  groups  to  deal  with  polarising  debates  and 
stigmatising speech in the classroom.  

-  Health 

The  COVID-19  crisis  has  highlighted  the  consequences  of  existing  health  inequalities 
suffered by people with a minority racial or ethnic background64 into the spotlight65. Racism 
causes  trauma  and  can,  therefore,  also  affect  people’s  mental  health.  The  new  EU4Health 
programme and Europe’s beating cancer plan will address health inequalities by taking into 
account  the  specific  needs  of  different  groups.  Exchanges  of  best  practices  between  health 
professionals throughout the EU and discussions with patient organisations and civil society 
will  help  to  ensure  a  patient-centred  approach  covering  the  specific  needs  of  people  with  a 
minority  racial  or  ethnic  background.  The  EU  Health  Policy  Platform66  will  include  a 
specific focus on reducing inequalities based on racial or ethnic origin and pass on proposals 
from  civil  society  to  the  EU  and  national  level  health  policy  makers.  The  Commission 
Steering  group  on  health  promotion,  disease  prevention  and  management  of  non-
communicable  diseases67  will  be  asked  to  select  best  practices  on  the  inclusion  of  people 
with  a  minority  racial  or  ethnic  background  in  health  prevention  strategies  to  be  scaled  up 
with  EU  budget  support.  Additional  research  projects  under  Horizon  Europe  could  also 
contribute to this work. Research should be undertaken on the socio-economic determinants 
of health from the racial perspective.  

-  Housing 

Individuals experiencing racial discrimination are at a higher risk of poor housing conditions 
reinforces 
and 
segregation70, with a knock-on effect in terms of education or employment opportunities and, 

residential  segregation68.  Discrimination  on 

the  housing  market69 

62   The strategy will cover all fields of education, training, youth and sport. It will be rolled out throughout the 

duration of the future Erasmus+ and European Solidarity Corps programmes.      

63   See https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/networks/radicalisation_awareness_network/about-ran_en  
64   According to (FRA) EU-MIDIS II, Roma women aged 50 or above reported their health status as ‘bad’ or 

‘very bad’ almost twice as often as non-Roma women (55% and 29% respectively). 

65   See ‘The COVID-19 pandemic: power and privilege, gentrification, and urban environmental justice in the 
global north’,  Cities & Health and National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). 
66   The EU Health Policy Platform (https://webgate.ec.europa.eu/hpf/) is an interactive tool to boost discussion 
about public health concerns and share knowledge and best practices. It brings together 7000 registered non-
governmental organisations groups and stakeholders inviting them to exchange among themselves and with 
the Commission, to pool their expertise in joint statements and disseminate actions among a wide audience. 

67   See https://ec.europa.eu/health/non_communicable_diseases/steeringgroup_promotionprevention_en 
68   European  Parliament  Research  Service,  The  Cost  on  Non-Europe  in  the  area  of  Equality  and  the  Fight    

against Racism and Xenophobia. 

69    According  to  the  FRA  ‘Being  Black  in  Europe’  report,  nearly  half  of  respondents  live  in  overcrowded 
housing (45 %), compared to 17 % of the general population in the EU. One tenth of respondents (12 %) live 
in conditions of severe  housing deprivation, overcrowded  dwellings characterised by a leaking roof, rot in 
the walls or windows, no bath/shower and no indoor toilet, or the dwelling being too dark. 

70  Segregation is characterised by the physical and social separation of members of a marginalised group from 
members of non-marginalised groups and unequal access to mainstream, inclusive and high-quality services. 

12 

 
                                                 
 
in  the  case  of  families  with  children,  significant  detrimental  impact  on  children’s 
development.   
National  and  local  authorities  are  primarily  responsible  for  measures71  to  prevent  and/or 
address  social  and  residential  segregation72.  Cohesion  policy  funds73  will  remain  key 
instruments  in  the  2021-2027  period  for  supporting  non-segregated  housing  actions  and 
ensuring access to inclusive and high-quality mainstream services. Compliance with the EU 
Charter of  Fundamental  Rights  will remain essential,  excluding  financial  support to  actions 
that contribute to creating any form of new segregation. The Commission’s renovation wave 
initiative will foster energy efficiency in social housing and other lower income housing.  

The Commission will: 

- 

ensure that the legislative framework on AI will specifically address the risk of bias and 
discrimination built into AI systems;  

-  use  policy  measures  and  funding  programmes  to  combat  racism  and  discrimination  in 
access to employment, education and training, healthcare, social protection and housing; 
ensure  that  the  upcoming  comprehensive  strategy  on  children’s  rights  will  contain 
particular actions on tackling racism and discrimination. 

- 

The Commission urges Member States to: 

- 

step  up  efforts  to  prevent  discriminatory  attitudes  among  law  enforcement  authorities 
and to boost the credibility of law enforcement work against hate crimes; 

-  map  national  responses  to  violent  extremism  and  identify  gaps  and  best  practices  in 

tackling it. 

FRA  should  collect  data  and  disseminate  good  practices  promoting  fair  policing.  CEPOL 
should deliver effective training programmes.  

3.  Structural racism - tackling the underlying problem 

Racism is often deeply embedded in our societies’ history, intertwined with its cultural roots 
and norms. It can be reflected in the way society functions, how power is distributed and how 
citizens  interact  with  the  state  and  public  services.  It  can  be  unconscious  and  is  often  felt 
through  a  failure  to  reflect  the  interests  of  the  people  affected  by  racism,  even  if  not 
necessarily a direct attempt to exclude. As the impact of structural racism can be as profound 
and  harmful  as  individual  racism,  its  existence  needs  to  be  acknowledged  and  it  must  be 
addressed through proactive policies. An intersectional perspective deepens understanding of 
structural racism, and makes responses more effective. 

See http://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/sources/docgener/informat/2014/thematic_guidance_fiche_segregati
on_en.pdf  

71   This  may  include  a  broad  range  of  actions,  such  as  infrastructure  developments  in  public  services, 

employment, education and training, health and housing measures and community empowerment. 

72   Marginalised and segregated communities can be identified by developing poverty maps at Nomenclature of 

territorial units for statistics (NUTS) 3 level and below.  

73   European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Cohesion Fund and European Social Fund + (ESF+). 

13 

 
 
 
 
                                                                                                                                                        
3.1.  Policies to turn the tide 

Combating stereotypes and raising awareness of history  

Stereotypes can be centuries-old, with a tenacious hold on attitudes and a tendency to be self-
perpetuating.  Too  often,  stereotypes  are  reinforced  by  a  tendency  towards  social  divisions 
that place minorities in a different space from the majority, socially but also physically. 

Prejudices  and  stereotypes  can,  in  the  first  place,  be  addressed  by  acknowledging  the 
historical  roots  of  racism.  Colonialism,  slavery  and  the  Holocaust  are  embedded  in  our 
history  and  have  profound  consequences  for  society  today.  Ensuring  remembrance  is  an 
important  part  of  encouraging  inclusion  and  understanding:  the  EU  should,  for  example, 
explicitly mark key commemorative days linked to racism, such as the International Day for 
the  Abolition  of  Slavery74,  as  proposed  by  the  European  Parliament75.  History  and  the 
teaching  of  history  are  an  important  focus  of  the  Council  of  Europe’s  education 
programming76.  In July 2020, the Council of Europe adopted a recommendation calling for 
the inclusion of the history of Roma people and/or Travellers in school curricula and teaching 
materials. As part of EU action in the area of  culture and values, Creative Europe and the 
citizenship, equality, rights and values programme will offer support for projects that seek to 
remove barriers and that encourage the social inclusion and participation of underrepresented 
and  disadvantaged  groups,  including  aspects  such  as  the  place  of  minorities  in  European 
society and the historical legacy of colonialism.  

The  way  in  which  people  with  a  minority  racial  or  ethnic  background  are  portrayed  in  the 
media, and whether they are represented at all, can reinforce negative stereotypes, with their 
under-representation in media professions further reinforcing this trend. An independent and 
pluralistic  media  is  necessary  for  balanced  democratic  debate.  Promoting  balanced  and 
positive  narratives,  increasing  the  awareness  and  knowledge  of  journalists,  as  well  as 
fostering media literacy, are crucial ways to contribute to inclusive societies. Building on the 
seminars on Roma77, the Commission will develop a series of seminars on racial and ethnic 
stereotypes  bringing  together  journalists,  civil  society  organisations  and  representatives  of 
people with a minority racial or ethnic background. In addition, the Commission is working 
with the European Federation of Journalists on a series of online seminars planned for early 
2021  to  foster  awareness  and  promote  balanced  storytelling  about  Muslims  and  Islam. 
Cultural and creative industries face similar challenges, such as  under-representation among 
film makers, or stereotypes in other cultural output. At the same time, those industries can be 
powerful vehicles for promoting equality, diversity and inclusion.  

In 2021 and beyond, and building on lessons learnt from past initiatives, the Commission will 
promote  awareness-raising  through  targeted  communication  activities.  This  will  include 
reaching  out  to  high-level  figures  of  the  political,  sport,  business  or  cultural  world  and 
inviting organisations with a large outreach to lend their support. 

One  of  the  goals  of  disinformation  can  be  to  target  minorities  in  particular,  as  well  as  to 
foment  social  unrest  more  broadly.  The  COVID-19  pandemic  provided  many  examples  of 

74   Key days include International Holocaust Remembrance Day (27 January), International Day Against Racial 
Discrimination (21 March), European Roma Holocaust Memorial Day (2 August) and International Day for 
the Abolition of Slavery (2 December).  

75   European  Parliament  resolution  of  26  March  2019  on  fundamental  rights  of  people  of  African  descent  in 

Europe. 

76   See https://www.coe.int/en/web/history-teaching  
77   See https://ec.europa.eu/newsroom/just/item-detail.cfm?item_id=30548 

14 

 
                                                 
this78.  The  work  of  the  European  Digital  Media  Observatory  in  supporting  fact-checkers 
and  researchers  in  tackling  disinformation  will  focus  specifically  on  disinformation  and 
conspiracies  targeting  minority  communities.  Mitigating  racial  discrimination  narratives 
spread through disinformation is also an important part of media literacy campaigns. ‘media 
literacy for all’ projects79 support these objectives. This work will be further developed in 
the forthcoming European democracy action plan and media and audiovisual action plan.  

EU  action  on  sport  also  prioritises  projects  that  counter  stereotypes  and  promote  social 
inclusion through sport, including in cooperation with key organisations such as the Union of 
European  Football  Associations  (UEFA)  and  the  International  Federation  of  Association 
Football  (FIFA)80.  Under  the  2021-2027  Erasmus+  programme81,  the  specific  focus  on 
grassroots sports82 will make it easier for people from all backgrounds, including those with a 
minority  racial  or  ethnic  background,  to  participate.  The  cultural  sector,  from  music  to 
cinema and performing arts, is a powerful area for promoting inclusion and fighting racism. 

The right data for informed policy choices 

Accurate and comparable data is essential in enabling policy-makers and the public to assess 
the scale and nature of  discrimination  suffered and for designing,  adapting, monitoring and 
evaluating  policies.  This  requires  disaggregating  data  by  ethnic  or  racial  origin83. 
However,  compared  to  data  on  other  grounds  of  discrimination,  such  as  sex,  disability  and 
age,  such  data  is  relatively  scarce.  Obstacles  include  problems  in  establishing  a  common 
methodology, with some Member States collecting such data while others consciously avoid 
this  approach.  As  a  result,  many  surveys  focus  on  the  perception  of  discrimination  or  use 
proxies such as citizenship or country of birth. The collection of reliable and comparable data 
at European and national level is an essential prerequisite for effective action. 

FRA plays an important role, for example through working with the Commission to support 
Member  States’  efforts  to  improve  the  collection  and  recording  of  data  on  hate  crime.  The 
next two years will see new FRA surveys on the situation of immigrants and descendants of 
immigrants, and on discrimination and hate crime against Jews. Eurobarometer surveys on 
discrimination84  will  continue  to  be  run  periodically  so  that  changes  in  attitudes  and 
perceptions can be monitored over time.  

Equality  bodies  can  usefully  cooperate  to  examine  their  own  equality  data  collection 
systems,  address  the  barriers  to  such  systems  being  effective  and/or  comparative  and 
interoperable, and considering how best to improve and coordinate their data collection. The 
Commission will support efforts to develop such coordination.  

78   Joint communication, Tackling COVID-19 disinformation - Getting the facts right (JOIN(2020) 8). 
79   Preparatory actions  support  new educational  materials to combat disinformation, and designing  ways to to 
raise awareness about the techniques commonly used by malicious actors in order to create, distribute and 
amplify disinformation over the internet. 

80   Joint  initiatives  include  the  UEFA  Respect,  #EqualGame  and  #WePlayStrong  campaigns  and  the  FIFA 

#stopracism and #stopviolence campaigns. 

81   COM (2018) 367 final. 
82   i.e.  organised sport practised at local level by amateur sports people, and ‘sport for all’. 
83   Already  the  UN  World  Conference  Against  Racism,  Racial  Discrimination,  Xenophobia  and  Related 
Intolerance  of  2002  and  the  Durban  Programme  of  Action  endorsed  the  need  for  disaggregated  data 
collection in population statistics, to be collected with the explicit consent of the respondents, based on their 
privacy; 
self 
https://www.un.org/en/durbanreview2009/pdf/DDPA_full_text.pdf  

consistent  with 

identification 

protecting 

standards 

human 

rights 

and 

84   Following up on the 2019 Eurobarometer 493 on Discrimination in the EU and its predecessors.  

15 

 
                                                 
However,  a  more  significant  step  is  needed  towards  a  new  approach  on  equality  data 
collection.  A  prerequisite  for  progress  towards  a  common  data  set  is  full  respect  for 
constitutional  norms,  EU  data  protection  law  and  the  EU  Charter  of  Fundamental  Rights. 
Safeguards need to be in place to ensure that sensitive equality data cannot be related back to 
the  individual.  This  implies  full  compliance  with  data  protection  rules,  in  particular  to 
mitigate any potential risks of misuse or abuse. The Commission will organise a roundtable 
on equality data bringing together key stakeholders85 to examine obstacles to the collection of 
data  related  to  racial  or  ethnic  origin  and  identify  paths  to  a  more  harmonised  approach, 
including  on  intersectional  data  as  regards,  for  instance,  religion  or  belief  and  gender.  The 
goal should be for Member States, in full respect of their national contexts, to move towards 
the  collection  of  data  disaggregated  on  the  basis  of  racial  or  ethnic  origin,  in  order  to 
capture both subjective experiences of discrimination and victimisation and structural aspects 
of  racism  and  discrimination.  This  data  should  be  comprehensive,  reliable,  regular  and 
timely;  mainstreamed 
into  EU  and  national  surveys;  and  both  representative  and 
comparable86.  

In 2021, Eurostat will run in the EU-Labour Force Survey (EU-LFS), a special module on 
the labour market situation of migrants, which will include aspects related to discrimination 
at work.  

The Commission will: 

- 

- 

carry out a series of actions to address racial and ethnic stereotypes with the media, 
civil society and representatives of people with a minority racial or ethnic background; 
launch action to drive a consistent approach on equality data collection, in particular as 
regards data disaggregated by racial or ethnic origin. 

The Commission encourages Member States to: 

- 

- 

actively address racial and ethnic sterotypes through the media, education, culture and 
sport; 
improve the collection of data disaggregated by racial or ethnic origin. 

3.2.  A framework for delivery: harnessing EU tools to their full extent 

Action at local, regional, national and international levels 

-  National action plans  

Racism needs to be tackled at all levels and should be addressed in a holistic way. National 
action  plans  have  proven  to  be  a  successful  way  for  Member  States  to  offer  an  effective 
response to racism and racial discrimination, while at the same time adapting concrete actions 
to their own circumstances. However, according to the recent FRA report, only around half of 
Member States already have such plans87. The Commission encourages  all Member States 

85   Including  equality  bodies,  civil  society,  academics,  EU  institutions,  EU  authorities  such  as  the  European 
Data  Protection  Supervisor,  FRA  and  other  EU  agencies,  business,  statistical  institutes,  health  workers, 
international organisations, Member State representatives etc. 

86   See  guidelines  prepared  in  the  equality  data  subgroup  of  the  High  level  group  on  non-discrimination  and 
diversity.  See  also  the  ‘principles  and  recommendations  for  population  and  housing  censuses’  of  the  UN 
Statistical Commission. 

87   According to the 2020 FRA report (June 2020, FRA) 15 Member States have instigated government action 
plans against racism, racial/ethnic discrimination and related intolerance in 2019 (Belgium, Croatia, Czechia, 

16 

 
 
                                                 
 
to  develop  and  adopt  national  action  plans  against  racism  and  racial  discrimination. 
Beyond guiding the work to tackle racism in the national context, action plans could be used 
as tools for sharing good practices between Member States.  

The  Commission  proposes  to  work  with  Member  States  to  identify  common  guiding 
principles  for  national  action  plans,  with  close  involvement  of  civil  society  and  equality 
bodies.  By  the  end  of  2021,  the  Commission  will  put  forward  the  main  principles  and 
elements required to produce effective national action plans88. This could serve as a basis for 
all Member States to develop and adopt national action plans by the end of 2022. 

Common guiding principles could include: 
  following  the  policy  areas89  set  out  in  this  action  plan  for  the  EU  level,  such  as 
legislation to tackle racism, countering discrimination by law enforcement authorities or 
non-discrimination in education and training, employment, health and housing; be based 
on a comprehensive assessment of action needed at national level in all of the areas set 
out in this action plan; 

  being tailored to the social, historical and cultural context and country specificities90 to 

address the most pressing needs; 

  involving  regional  and  local  authorities,  as  well  as  civil  society  and  equality  bodies  in 

their design, implementation and evaluation; 

  including data collection and identifying indicators to measure progress;  
  drawing  on  the  practical  guidance91  from  the  Office  of  the  United  Nations  High 
Commissioner for Human Rights as well as the identified key elements and principles on 
how to develop such plans.  

The Commission invites Member States to report regularly on the implementation of national 
action plans. This will be instrumental for exchanges of good practices, mutual learning and 
for  an  assessment  of  progress  at  the  national  and  EU  level.  The  Commission  proposes  to 
report  regularly  on  the  implementation  of  national  action  plans  against  racism,  with  a  first 
report at the end of 2023. 

-  Mobilising the regional and local levels for meaningful impact on the ground 

Local authorities have a lot of experience in developing effective strategies to combat racism 
and  in  building  networks92.  The  Commission  will  continue  to  support  such  schemes  and 

Finland, France, Germany,  Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Spain and the 
United Kingom). 

88   This work will be taken forward with a new joint subgroup composed of experts from the High level group 
on  combating  racism,  xenophobia  and  other  forms  of  intolerance  and  the  High  level  group  on  non-
discrimination. 

89   Non-discrimination  legislation  and  the  role  of  equality  bodies;  hate  speech  and  hate  crime;  unlawful 
profiling  by  law  enforcement  authorities;  risks  posed  by  new  technologies;  stereotypes  and  historical 
awareness; equal access to education, employment, healthcare, housing; mainstreaming of equality concerns 
at national level; involving the regional and local levels; funding to combat racism; data collection, dialogue 
with civil society. 

90   Such  as  the  composition  of  the  population,  specific  historical  and  legal  circumstances,  and  the  extent  of 

everyday prevalence of discrimination. 

91   https://www.refworld.org/docid/5566debe4.html. The guidance calls on countries  to set goals and actions, 
designate  responsible  state  bodies,  set  target  dates,  include  performance  indicators,  and  provide  for 
monitoring and evaluation mechanisms. 

92   Key networks include EU Cities against Radicalisation, Nordic Safe Cities, the Strong Cities Network, and 

the European Forum for Urban Security. 

17 

 
                                                                                                                                                        
networks93. For example, these topics could be discussed through the URBACT programme 
(supported by cohesion policy funding and linking urban policy-makers). This work can also 
draw  on  cooperation  with  the  network  of  major  European  cities  (EUROCITIES)  and  the 
UNESCO-led European coalition of cities against racism94. Other local initiatives, such as 
the  International  urban  cooperation  (IUC)  programme95  or  the  Covenant  of  Mayors  for 
Climate and Energy96 could serve either as platforms or models for further developing city-
level action promoting racial equality, in addition to supporting social inclusion through areas 
such as tackling energy poverty or access to decent housing.  
Network of towns97 projects should prioritise raising awareness and building knowledge on 
the  role  of  people  with  a  minority  racial  or  ethnic  background  in  European  society  and 
culture. In order to recognise and make visible cities’ efforts to put in place robust inclusion 
policies  at  local  level,  the  Commission  will  launch  an  annual  designation  of  European 
capital(s) of inclusion and diversity.  

Rural  areas  face  specific  challenges,  such  as  remoteness,  relatively  high  proportions  of 
newcomers in the population (they are often migrants’ first point of arrival), a potential lack 
of  basic  services  and  infrastructures,  and  higher  rates  of  poverty  and  unemployment.  EU 
funds complement national  action to  meet  the challenges of vulnerable rural  communities98 
that the upcoming long-term vision for rural areas will also look to remedy. 

-  Working with the private sector 

Business  organisations  and  individual  companies  have  a  key  role  to  play  in  ensuring  non-
discrimination, diversity and inclusion. By signing diversity charters99, organisations make 
a  voluntary  commitment  to  create  and  maintain  an  inclusive  work  environment  for  their 
employees,  regardless  of  sex,  racial  or  ethnic  origin,  religion,  age,  disability  or  sexual 
orientation. During the European Diversity Charters Month in May 2021, the Commission 
will organise a high-level event, which will gather policy-makers, chief executive officers of 
diversity charter signatories and other stakeholders to review and promote the consideration 
of  racial  and  ethnic  origin  in  diversity  strategies.  This  will  be  followed  up  with  an  online 
toolkit  to  help  companies  assess  their  internal  diversity  and  diversity  strategies  based  on 
adjustable staff surveys,  a downloadable questionnaire and recommendations for improving 
diversity in their organisation on the basis of the results of the assessment.  

93   Such as the Partnership on the inclusion of migrants and refugees under the Urban Agenda for the EU, see 

https://www.inclusionpartnership.com . 

94   See https://www.eccar.info/  
95   See https://iuc.eu/na/home/ 
96   The  initiative  was launched by the Commission in 2008 and today the Covenant of Mayors is the  world’s 
largest movement of cities active on energy and the climate, operating in 59 countries and embracing 10 117 
local authorities. 

97   Where  a  partnership  of  towns  deepen  and  intensify  their  cooperation  and  debate  onr  certain  issues  

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/europe-for-citizens/funding_en 

98   For  example  LEADER,  the  community-based  bottom-up  commmon  agricultural  policy  (CAP)  instrument 
financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, supports the development of inclusive 
rural communities. 

99   There are currently diversity charters in 24 Member States with over 12 000 signatories (companies, public 
institutions,  non-governmental  organisations  ,  universities,  trade  unions)  and  in  total  over  16  million 
employees;https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/combatting-
discrimination/tackling-discrimination/diversity-management_en  

18 

 
                                                 
Mainstreaming  

When  developing  policies,  from  social  inclusion  to  AI,  from  the  Green  Deal  to  digital 
inclusion  and  from  addressing  hate  speech  to  migration  policies,  integrating  the  equality 
dimension  also  includes  ensuring  that  EU  and  national  policies  serve  the  interests  of  all 
people, irrespective of their racial or  ethnic origin. The Commission will seek to  ensure 
that  the  fight  against  discrimination  on  specific  grounds  and  their  intersections  with  other 
grounds  of  discrimination,  such  as  sex,  disability,  age,  religion  or  sexual  orientation  is 
integrated into all EU policies, legislation and funding programmes. One of the tasks of the 
new internal Task Force on Equality is to ensure full coverage of all policy areas. Guidance 
and training on mainstreaming will be developed to support all involved in the integration of 
an equality perspective into every stage of EU interventions, and the more active consultation 
of  organisations  representing  people  with  a  minority  racial  or  ethnic  background  will  be 
promoted  throughout  the  Commission’s  policy  cycle.  Other  EU  institutions  and  national 
authorities  are  encouraged  to  cooperate  on  successful  mainstreaming  tools  and  practices. 
Member  States  will  be  able  to  seek  technical  support  to  mainstream  equality  in  policy-
making and reform processes through the Technical Support Instrument. 

Mobilising EU funds  

The EU budget supports and will continue supporting the achievement of equality objectives 
both  through  targeted  actions  and  mainstreaming.  Well-designed  programmes,  efficient 
implementation  and  intelligent  combinations  of  financing  within  a  robust  legal  framework 
can  make  the  most  of  available  resources,  ensuring  that  funds  reach  those  who  need  them 
most.  The  Commission’s  proposal  for  the  next  multi-annual  financial  framework  (MFF) 
provides a number of important opportunities to support non-discrimination and people with 
a minority racial or ethnic background through EU funding. While the new citizens, equality, 
rights and values programme has specific objectives to combat discrimination, racism and 
xenophobia, other funds will also contribute to support investments that promote equality and 
inclusion such as Horizon Europe.  

As  part  of  Next  Generation  EU,  the  new  Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  will  support 
investments  and  reforms  essential  to  a  lasting  recovery  and  foster  economic  and  social 
resilience  and  social  cohesion100.  This  support  will  give  possibilities  to  Member  States  to 
foster the inclusion of vulnerable groups, including Roma and other people with a minority 
racial or ethnic background.  

Civil  society organisations are crucial  actors in  the fight  against racism and discrimination. 
The Commission aims not only to ensure active cooperation with civil society but also to help 
secure  financial  support  for  non-governmental  organisations  and  community-based 
organisations.  To  that  end,  the  Commission  will  aim  at  creating  a  strong  partnership 
culture with civil society actors to promote social inclusion, fundamental rights and equality 
from  the  policy  design  to  the  implementation  phase.  The  Commission  encourages  the 
Member States to do the same.  
As  most  of  the  EU  budget  is  implemented  by  Member  States101,  they  have  a  key  role  in 
designing targeted policies and maximising the use of funding programmes to support those 
affected by  racism and  discrimination.  Member  States are invited to  address  these needs in 

100  In order to receive support, Member States will have to design recovery and resilience plans addressing inter 

alia the economic and social impacts of the crisis. 

101  80%  of  the  EU  budget  is  implemented  in  shared  management  mode  with  the  Member  States  with  limited 

possibilities for the Commission to design actions on the ground. 

19 

 
                                                 
using funds under the MFF and Next Generation EU. The Commission will aim to ensure that 
country-specific challenges in the area of inclusion and discrimination are properly addressed 
in  the  forthcoming  partnership  agreements  and  common  agricultural  policy  plans,  and  that 
measures  promoting  equality  and  inclusion  are  implemented  via  operational  programmes. 
This  is  also  supported  by  the  enabling  conditions  applicableto  specific  EU  funds  in  2021-
2027  proposed  by  the  Commission  aiming  to  ensure  respect  for  fundamental  rights102, 
including non-discrimination as well as Roma equality, inclusion and participation103.  

Combating racism and discrimination in external policies 

Racism is a global problem and it is important that the internal and external actions of the EU 
to  prevent  and  combat  racism  are  coherent  and  mutually  reinforce  each  other.  The  fight 
against  racism  and  discrimination  on  any  grounds  is  a  fundamental  objective  of  the  EU’s 
human rights agenda in external relations and as such reflected in relevant EU’s international 
agreements and external action policy documents, including the action plan on human rights 
and  democracy  2015-2019104,  and  will  be  included  in  its  successor  for  2020-2024  to  be 
adopted in the last quarter of 2020. The EU human rights guidelines on non-discrimination in 
external action, adopted by the Council in 2019, provide conceptual and operational guidance 
for EU institutions and Member States in the fight against racism and racial discrimination105. 
The  EU  also  encourages  enlargement  countries  to  abide  by  the  EU  acquis  on  addressing 
discrimination, racism and xenophobia. Trade policy of the EU also plays a role in combating 
discrimination and racism106. 

The  International  Convention  on  the  Elimination  of  all  Forms  of  Racial  Discrimination  is 
central to the EU’s fight against racism in the cooperation and political dialogues with partner 
countries  and  regional  and  international  organisations.  The  COVID-19  crisis  is  likely  to 
further exacerbate inequalities, in particular in health, where people with a minority racial or 
ethnic background and refugees are more vulnerable to the impacts of the pandemic107. High 
levels  of  inequality  also  represent  an  obstacle  to  sustainable  development  and  to  the 
achievement of Agenda 2030 and the Sustainable Development Goals.  

As regards financial support, the values of anti-racism, non-discrimination and equality, in all 
its  senses,  are  firmly  embedded  in  the  European  Instrument  for  Democracy  and  Human 
Rights and are a cross-cutting priority108 in its successor: the Neighbourhood, Development 
and International Cooperation Instrument.  

102  Through the introduction of a horizontal enabling condition on effective application and implementation of 

the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. 

103  Member  States  programming  ESF+  specific  objective  on  promoting  the  socio-economic  integration  of 
marginalised  communities  such  as  Roma  people  must  fulfil  all  the  requirements  in  Annex IV  to  the 
Commission proposal for the 2021-2027 Common Provisions Regulation concerning the thematic enabling 
conditions  for  national  Roma  strategic  frameworks.  Apart  from  the  ESF+  specific  objective,  several  other 
EU funding instruments can be used for the integration of marginalised communities. 

104  See https://eeas.europa.eu/sites/eeas/files/eu_action_plan_on_human_rights_and_democracy_en_0.pdf  
105  Council of the European Union, 18 March 2019, doc. 6337/19 and doc. 6338/19. 
106  For  example,  the  EU  Generalised  Scheme  of  Preferences  promotes  ratification  and  implementation  of  the 
ILO Convention  on Discrimination (C111) and the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms 
of Racial Discrimination and EU free trade agreements also promote ratification and implementation of the 
ILO Convention on Discrimination (C111).  

107  See Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations,  Addressing inequality in times of Covid-19, 

28 April 2020. 

108  See  also  “A  rights-based  approach  encompassing  all  human  rights,  for  all  EU  development  cooperation” 

(SWD (2014) 152 final). 

20 

 
                                                 
Rising  inequalities  are  a  global  phenomenon,  making  it  increasingly  important  to  build 
international partnerships to address these challenges jointly and coherently. Building on this 
robust external action framework, the Commission and the High Representative will seek to 
further strengthen partnerships with key international, regional and bilateral partners towards 
a new revitalised approach to the anti-racism agenda. 

The Commission will: 

-  put forward the main principles and elements required to produce  effective national 
action  plans  against  racism  by  the  end  of  2021,  as  a  result  of  a  joint  work  with 
Member States authorities; 
issue a first report on the implementation of national action plans by the end of 2023; 
launch an annual designation of European capital(s) of inclusion and diversity; 

- 
- 
-  organise a high-level event on the consideration of racial and ethnic origin in private 

- 

companies’ diversity strategies in spring 2021; 
together  with  the  High  Representative  seek  to  further  strengthen  partnerships  with 
key international, regional and bilateral partners towards a new revitalised approach 
to the anti-racism agenda. 

The Commission encourages Member States to:  

adopt national action plans against racism by the end of 2022; 

- 
-  ensure  that  civil  society  representatives  and  equality  bodies  are  involved  in  the 

design, implementation and evaluation of national action plans against racism. 

3.3  Positive action by the EU: listening and acting 

Positive  action  can  play  an  important  role  in  redressing  the  lack  of  substantive  equality  in 
societies:  formal  equality  alone  may  not  address  the  specific  needs  of  certain  groups  of 
people. Action can be taken to offset the disadvantages to which people with a minority racial 
or  ethnic  background  are  exposed.  EU  law  does  not  prevent  Member  States  from  adopting 
specific  measures  to  avoid,  or  compensate  for,  disadvantages  linked  to  discrimination  on 
grounds of racial or ethnic origin where there is provision for protection.   

Member States  are also  encouraged to identify ways to promote duties to integrate equality 
considerations into the day-to-day business of public authorities. Legal duties on the public 
sector to promote equality in a proactive and systematic manner, also referred to as statutory 
equality  duties109,  place  equality  at  the  heart  of  public  policy.  They  are  relevant  to  public 
authorities  as  policy-makers,  service  providers,  employers  and  procurers  of  goods  and 
services. Such duties have been found110 to enable effective and proactive approaches to the 
elimination of discrimination and the promotion of equality. The Commission will continue 
to  facilitate  the  sharing  of  good  practices  among  the  Member  States  in  legislating  for  and 
implementing statutory duties.  

109  Statutory  duties  include  preventive  duties  requiring  organisations  to  establish  systems  and  processes  to 
prevent  discrimination,  institutional  duties  requiring  organisations  to  establish  systems  and  processes  to 
promote equality for employees and service users, and mainstreaming duties requiring public authorities to 
have due regard to the need to promote equality in legislating, budgeting, regulating, and policy making  

110  See Crowley N.,Making Europe More Equal: A legal duty? 

21 

 
 
                                                 
Inclusive democracies 

Leading up to the 2019 elections to the European Parliament, there was increased awareness 
of  the  hurdles  to  democratic  participation  and  representation  for  groups  susceptible  to 
marginalisation,  such  as  people  with  a  minority  racial  or  ethnic  background111.  Legal  and 
administrative challenges, accessibility barriers and institutional difficulties stood in the way 
of  inclusive  democracy.  The  report  on  the  2019  elections  to  the  European  Parliament112 
concluded that there was still progress to be made. The Commission signalled its intention to 
work  with  European  political  parties,  the  European  Cooperation  Network  on  Elections  and 
civil society to improve participation113 and this will be part of the work under the European 
democracy action plan and the Commission’s forthcoming report on EU citizenship. This is 
also an area where data collection on democratic participation of minorities would be key, to 
identify  the  scale  of  the  problem,  in  full  compliance  with  fundamental  rights  and  data 
protection requirements114.  

New structures to listen and learn: a permanent framework for exchange  

In  her  political  guidelines,  President  von  der  Leyen  stressed  that  “we  may  have  different 
beliefs,  we  may  belong  to  different  minority  groups  but  we  have  to  make  sure  we  listen  to 
each  other,  learn  from  each  other  and  embrace  this  diversity.”  Policy-makers  in  EU 
institutions  and  Member  States  need  to  engage  with  and  learn  from  people  experiencing 
everyday  racism.  The  Commission  will  prioritise  listening  to  those  affected  and  will 
implement and monitor this action plan with the involvement of people experiencing racism 
and discrimination. To that end, it foresees regular consultation and dialogue with Member 
States,  equality  bodies  and  local  level  representatives  as  well  as  with  civil  society 
organisations that represent the concerns of the individuals affected. These dialogues will not 
only cover the targeted measures announced in this action plan, but will also be central to the 
work  of  mainstreaming  the  perspectives  of  people  with  a  minority  racial  or  ethnic 
background into all EU policies.   

This means reaching out to and engaging more with civil society actors on the ground. The 
Commission  will  regularly,  and  at  least  twice  a  year,  meet  with  civil  society  organisations 
active  in  the  fight  against  racism  at  European,  national  and  local  levels  to  take  stock  of 
progress  in  the  fight  against  racism.  This  dialogue  should  also  include  representatives  of 
diaspora  networks,  social  partners115,  political  parties,  businesses,  education  and  training 
providers,  social  workers,  healthcare  professionals,  academia,  cultural  and  sports 
organisations  as  well  as  youth-based  organisations.  It  should  in  particular  give  a  voice  to 
grassroots  actors  who  have  first-hand  expertise  and  experience  for  defining  the  right  way 
forward.  

111  See https://ec.europa.eu/info/sites/info/files/eu-citzen_-_type_a_report_-_infographics_-_a4_full.pdf    
112  Report on the 2019 elections to the European Parliament (COM(2020) 252 final). 
113  The  Commission  will organise a  workshop on elections to exchange  and foster best practices on inclusive 
democracy with the aim of candidate lists that reflect the diversity of our societies. This workshop is planned 
for 2022 to inform the next European parliamentary elections in 2024. 

114  The  European  Cooperation  Network  on  elections  will  meet  in  September  2020  to  launch  a  discussion  on 
better data collection. The outcome of this will form part of the 2020 EU Citizenship Report planned for the 
fourth quarter of 2020. 

115  The Commission and the economic and social partners have renewed their commitment to the integration of 
refugees  and  migrants  (Joint  Statement  renewing  the  European  Partnership  for  Integration  of  7  September 
2020)  and  highlighted  the  specific  challenges  faced  by  migrants  and  refugees  with  the  COVID-19  crisis, 
notably that the risk of rising racism and xenophobia may represent additional obstacles to their participation 
in 
large.  See:  https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-
do/policies/legal-migration/european-dialogue-skills-and-migration/european-partnership-integration_en. 

labour  market  and 

in  society  at 

the 

22 

 
                                                 
As regards experts, the implementation of the action plan should become an important focus 
of  existing  high  level  groups116.  These  will  provide  fora  for  discussion,  exchange  and 
strengthened  coordination  and  cooperation  between  national  authorities,  civil  society  and 
equality bodies.  

Moreover, the Commission will appoint a coordinator for anti-racism. The coordinator will 
liaise closely with people with a minority racial or ethnic background and relaytheir concerns 
to  the  Commission.  The  coordinator  will  interact  with  Member  States,  the  European 
Parliament,  civil  society  and  academia  to  strengthen  policy  responses  in  the  field  of  anti-
racism. In addition, the coordinator will join forces with Commission services to implement 
the Commission's policy on preventing and combating racism. 

The Conference on the Future of Europe will offer citizens from all walks of life and every 
corner of our Union the opportunity to discuss what matters to them, including fundamental 
rights and EU values which are central to our Union and its future. 

The fight against racism in the EU calls for the highest political attention. The Commission 
will  organise  a  summit  against  racism  with  the  involvement  of  EU  Institutions,  Member 
States,  civil  society,  equality  bodies  and  grassroots  organisations.  The  Summit  will  be 
organised around the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination on 
21 March 2021 and this day will be marked each year by the Commission.  

The Commission will: 

- 

strengthen  its  dialogue  with  Member  States,  equality  bodies,  civil  society 
organisations  and  local  level  representatives  for  the  implementation  of  this  action 
plan;  
appoint a coordinator for anti-racism; 

- 
-  organise a summit against racism in spring 2021. 

The Commission encourages Member States to:  

-  adopt  specific  measures  to  avoid,  or  compensate  for,  disadvantages  linked  to 
discrimination  on  grounds  of  racial  or  ethnic  origin  where  there  is  provision  for 
protection; 
identify ways to promote duties to integrate equality considerations into the day-to-
day work of public authorities. 

- 

4.  The EU’s own human resources  

The  European  Commission,  as  an  employer,  has  to  lead  by  example.  To  be  a  modern 
organisation, the Commission needs a workforce which is representative of our society as a 
whole. 
New actions117 will be implemented under this Commission’s mandate to promote diversity 
and  ensure  a  discrimination-free  and  an  inclusive  workplace  for  all  people,  irrespective  of 

116  Notably the High level group on combating racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance and the High 

level group on non-discrimination, equality and diversity. 

117  A  number  of  actions  have  already  been  implemented  under  the  Commission  Communication  on  A  better 

workplace for all: from equal opportunities towards diversity and inclusion (C(2017) 5300 final). 

23 

 
 
 
 
                                                 
their racial or ethnic origin or skin colour. All these actions will form part of a wider set of 
measures in the forthcoming hman resources strategy that will shape the modernisation of 
the Commission as a public administration. A Diversity and Inclusion Office will be created 
within  the  Directorate-General  for  Human  Resources  and  Security  to  oversee  the 
development  and implementation  of all  relevant actions. The office  will also  ensure  a “one 
stop  shop”  for  all  experts  and  services  thatcontribute  to  advancing  diversity,  equality  and 
inclusion across all Commission departments. 

Data on the diversity of the Commission staff will, for the first time, be collected via a 
dedicated diversity and inclusion survey, which will be voluntary and anonymous. Its results 
will  pave  the  way  for  evidence-based  policies  and  measures  under  the  human  eesources 
strategy.  The  survey  will  cover  all  categories  of  staff,  and  target  all  possible  grounds  of 
discrimination including data on racial and ethnic origin of the staff, in full compliance with 
data protection rules. It will serve as a basis for measuring progress in the future. Other EU 
institutions and bodies could take similar steps118. 

The  commitment  to  foster  diversity  applies  to  all  levels  of  the  organisation  and  therefore 
cover staff from  all function groups and  grades.  The recruitment  and selection processes in 
EU institutions are key instruments in this respect.  

While the selection process is merit-based and follows an equal opportunities policy, greater 
diversity needs to be supported among candidates. A strategy will be put in place in the next 
six  months  for  targeted  communication119.  By  the  end  of  2020,  the  European  Personnel 
Selection  Office  (EPSO)  will  launch  a  call  to  encourage  cooperation  with  different  expert 
organisations  and associations representing minorities, and a  network of diversity partner 
organisations  set  up  to  receive  information  on  job  opportunities  and  competitions.  This 
network will also be critical for better understanding the existing disincentives to considering 
EU institutions as potential employers.  An equality and diversity monitoring tool  will be 
developed,  in  cooperation  with  Member  States,  to  identify  potential  gaps  in  applicants, 
possible blocking factors and how these might be addressed.  

In order to further strengthen prevention of any potential discrimination in the recruitment 
process,  human  resources  professionals  will  participate  in  mandatory  training  on 
unconscious  bias  and  will  acquire  further  specialisation  in  headhunting  and  interview 
techniques.  This  will  be  backed  up  by  equality  and  diversity  screenings  of  recruitment 
processes,  procedures  and  tools  in  order  to  identify  any  potential  risk  of  bias  or 
discrimination and the remedial actions needed. The Commission is firmly committed to take 
all appropriate actions to ensure effective remedy of the issues identified by the equality and 
diversity screenings.  

The  Commission’s  commitment  to  diversity  also  extends  to  the  Commission’s  blue  book 
traineeship programme120. The Commission will run an equality and diversity screening of 
the entire programme with the aim to present in 2021 a strategy with specific objectives in 
terms  of  representation  of  applicants  with  a  minority  racial  or  ethnic  background.  These 
objectives will apply to the calls for applications to be launched in 2022. 

118  The European External Action Service has already expressed its intention to join this dedicated survey. 
119  This will include harnessing EU career student ambassadors and the ‘Back to School/University’ programme 
in  promoting  the  EU  career  option  amongst  students  from  minority  ethnic  or  racial  backgrounds.  A 
masterclass on diversity will take place by the end 2020 and will gather 185 EU careers ambassadors from 
140 universities across Europe. 
120  Commission Decision C(2005) 458. 

24 

 
                                                 
Taking  additional  steps  to  broaden  the  diversity  of  Commission  staff  would,  however,  be 
undermined  if  the  workplace  itself  is  not  fully  inclusive.  The  Commission  will  implement 
additional measures towards a culture of inclusiveness. The pivotal role of senior and middle 
managers will be underlined, including by making the diversity and inclusion charter of the 
Commission121 an integral part of the management pledge of every service. All staff will be 
offered regular training on unconscious bias, including in relation to racial and ethnic origin, 
including  in  intersection  with  other  grounds  of  discrimination.  A  dedicated  internal 
communication  campaign  will  cover  all  aspects  of  diversity  and  inclusion,  including  on 
racial and ethnic origin. Dedicated awareness-raising actions for staff, such as staff events or 
articles,  will  be  organised  as  part  of  the  EU  activities  to  mark  key  commemorative  days 
linked  to  racism.  In  2021,  the  event  will  take  the  form  of  a  workshop  on  “Breaking  the 
silence on racial and ethnic diversity” with personal stories of managers and staff members 
from various racial or ethnic backgrounds.  

In tandem with  preventive actions, cases of discrimination, inequality or intolerance during 
the recruitment process or in the workplace will continue to be rigorously followed up. This 
means  that  applicants  and  staff  members  should  feel  safe  to  report  any  possible  unfair, 
discriminatory or hostile practices. The Commission’s policy framework on harassment is 
under  review  and  will  provide  a  framework  to  tackle  all  forms  of  unwelcome  workplace 
behaviours, including those rooted in racial discrimination.  

The Commission will benchmark all its actions to advance diversity and inclusion against 
other  public  administrations,  international  organisations  and  private  companies  and  will 
engage inregular dialogue with other EU institutions. Priority attention will be paid to actions 
specific to applicants and staff with a minority racial or ethnic background.  

The Commission will perform an assessment of the effectiveness of the actions undertaken to 
enhance the racial and ethnic diversity of its staff by 2023. 

The Commission will:  

- 

- 

lead  by  example  as  an  institution  by  taking  steps  to  significantly  improve  the 
representativeness  of  Commission  staff  through  measures  targeting  recruitment  and 
selection; 
invite other EU institutions to take steps in line with those of this action plan in order 
to foster diversity and inclusion in their respective workplaces. 

5.  Conclusion  

Racism strikes at the heart of EU values. Furthering the fight against racism in the EU is a 
shared  responsibility  and  requires  joint,  resolute  and  ongoing  efforts.  The  EU  institutions, 
Member  States  and  EU  agencies,  in  partnership  with  civil  society  organisations,  social 
partners  and  the  private  sector,  must  work  together  to  make  concrete  progress  towards 
eliminating this scourge from our societies.  

The Commission invites all relevant actors and stakeholders to engage in an open, honest and 
continuous dialogue to help inform the further development and implementation of policies to 
counter racism. As part of this dialogue, the EU institutions and Member States need to bring 

121  See Commission Communication C(2017) 5300. 

25 

 
 
 
                                                 
a fresh approach to how they engage with civil society and ensure that the voices of  people 
with a minority racial or ethnic background are heard. 

The  implementation  of  the  actions  presented  here  will  be  monitored,  progress  reported  and 
actions adapted where needed. The Commission invites the European Parliament to regularly 
discuss  and   support  the  implementation  of  the  action  plan  and  the  Council  to  adopt 
conclusions on the Member States’ actions to prevent and combat racism.  The Commission 
calls  on  Member  States  to  adopt  their  national  action  plans  by  the  end  of  2022  and  to 
maximise the use of all the tools at their disposal, in particular the possibilities offered by the 
funding programmes under the MFF and Next Generation EU,  to support those affected by 
racism and discrimination. Working together, we will make a racism-free EU a reality.   

26