The European Parliament adopted by 442 votes to 114, with 42 abstentions, a resolution on racial justice, non-discrimination and anti-racism in the EU.
The EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025 is the first EU policy instrument to recognise the structural dimension of racism. The action plan is a first, important step towards tackling racism and racial discrimination in the EU but lacks follow-up mechanisms, ambitious benchmarks and clear targets. A horizontal intersectional approach to EU policies and measures, as outlined in the gender and LGBTQI strategies, is instrumental to addressing racial discrimination. Minority groups including but not limited to Romani people, Muslims, Jewish people, people of African and Asian descent and Sami people are impacted by multiple forms of discrimination.
The resolution emphasised the urgent need for the EU to develop and employ a robust, inclusive, comprehensive and multifaceted approach for effectively combating all forms of racism and discrimination, including structural and institutional racism, on all grounds and in all areas in the EU. It insisted that the EU and its institutions must lead by example in this fight.
In this regard, Parliament recalled its long-standing call for the adoption of the horizontal anti-discrimination directive, which has been blocked in the Council since 2008 and called for its adoption.
Moreover, the Commission is called on to:
- continue assessing the implementation of the current EU legal framework for combating discrimination, racism, xenophobia, hate speech and hate crime, and other types of intolerance, in order to determine how to improve it;
- take concrete steps, including infringement procedures, in case of breaches of EU law by Member States;
- implement a policy of zero tolerance for EU support for projects, inside or outside the EU, that directly or indirectly promote xenophobic or racist views;
- update the proposal for an EU equal treatment directive.
Member States are called on to:
- ensure the full implementation and effective monitoring of the Racial Equality Directive and the Employment Equality Directive;
- fully and correctly transpose the provisions of the Framework Decision on Racism and Xenophobia into national law;
- criminalise racist hate crime and hate speech;
- put in place relevant standards and measures relating to the protection of witnesses and victims of hate crimes.
Complaints and accountability mechanisms
Deeply concerned about cases of police violence against racialised people in several Member States, people should have access to independent and well-functioning police complaints mechanisms capable of launching investigations into cases of police violence, misconduct and abuse and to safeguard rights of people to document these cases. The resolution underlined the need for a monitoring and accountability mechanism to ensure the effective application and enforcement of EU anti-racism and anti-discrimination legislation and policy.
Education
The resolution stressed the role of education, culture and sport in countering racial and ethnic stereotypes and promoting equality and social inclusion. It strongly condemned any racial or ethnic segregation in schools, which is still happening in the EU and which has a disproportionate effect on children from racial and ethnic minority communities.
Gender issues
Specific actions should be taken to fight gender stereotypes and eliminate discrimination and inequalities, as well as to combat gender-based violence against racialised women, including through the adoption of the proposed directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, by adding gender-based violence to the list of EU crimes and by criminalising forced sterilisation and forced abortion.
Temporary Protection Directive
Parliament welcomed the EU response to the people fleeing Ukraine and the activation of the Temporary Protection Directive. However, it expressed concerned about reports of discriminatory and racist incidents at the borders against people of colour and minorities, such as Romani people, and reminded Member States of each individual’s right to seek asylum and to be treated with respect under international law. Members called on the Commission to mainstream the racial equality dimension throughout the EU’s legal and policy framework on migration.
Representation and participation
Parliament stressed the importance of representation and diversity as a tool for the development of inclusive societies. It recalled that the media have a responsibility to reflect societies in all their diversity and regretted the current lack of diversity at all levels. The resolution condemned the racist rhetoric of certain media outlets that stigmatise racialised communities. The importance of gender-balanced participation as well as participation of racialised people in the media was stressed in order to ensure adequate representation and provide positive role models for children of racialised groups.
National action plans
Member States are urged to adopt national action plans against racism and discrimination by the end of 2022, which take into account the historical roots of racism and create a culture of remembrance, as provided for in the EU anti-racism action plan. There is also the need to continue the EU anti-racism action plan beyond 2025 and developing it towards a fully-fledged EU strategy.