Debate: Fighting against antisemitism, racism and hatred across Europe
Date: TUESDAY, 11 FEBRUARY 2020
Speaker: Nikolina Brnjac
Language: EN

There are a number of legal instruments that offer protection against racism and related forms of intolerance. All EU Member States have accepted the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. The EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights also prohibits discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, ethnic origin and religion or belief.  The EU has furthermore adopted specific legislation on combating intolerance and hatred. I refer in particular to the 2008 Framework Decision on combating racism and xenophobia. In June 2016, the Council invited Member States to ensure the effective transposition and implementation of the Framework Decision and other relevant hate-crime laws at national level. In addition, it asked Member States to develop effective methods to report and ensure proper recording of hate crimes.  On 6 December 2018, the EU Member State Governments also sent a clear message by adopting a Council Declaration on the fight against anti—Semitism and the development of a common security approach to better protect Jewish communities and institutions in Europe. The Council notes that anti-Semitic hatred remains widespread and invites EU Member States to take measures to tackle anti-Semitism and improve the security of Jewish communities.  Social media is one of the main vehicles enabling hate speech to go viral. One possible remedy against this epidemic is a harmonised and determined European response. In this area, the Council conclusions on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, adopted in October 2017, welcomed the measures coordinated by the Commission’s High Level Group on combating racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance. We also welcome and support the ongoing EU level dialogue with major IT companies, and address hate speech online, including through the implementation of the Code of Conduct launched in 2016 by the Commission for this purpose. Last but not least, we should remember and commend the remarkable work done by the Fundamental Rights Agency in this field.  The countermeasures I have mentioned so far would, however, be insufficient without recognising the important role of education and youth work, and, more precisely, the need to develop democratic resilience, media literacy, tolerance, critical thinking and conflict resolution skills in the learning process.  It is important to bear in mind that the measures in place to fight hate crime can only fulfil their potential if victims report hate motivated harassment and violence to the police, and if police officers record such incidents as hate crimes. According to the Fundamental Rights Agency, only a fraction of victims report hate motivated harassment and violence and, when they do, police officers do not always recognise them as hate crimes. Fortunately, Member States are increasingly introducing measures to address this issue. This includes providing relevant guidance for police officers, requiring the collection of detailed data on crime and working with civil society organisations experienced in dealing with hate crime.  In short, the responsibility rests with all of us – politicians, teachers, civil servants, students, parents and, where appropriate, judges and prosecutors – not to close our eyes or ears and pretend not to see injustice, discrimination or hatred. From the horrors of Auschwitz, the world learned its lesson and built an order of peace, founded upon human rights and international law. We are all committed to defending this.