According to surveys by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), 45% of respondents with a North African background, 39% of those with a Sub-Saharan African background and 41% of Roma respondents had felt discriminated against in the previous five years. 39% of Jewish respondents had experienced some form of antisemitic harassment.
The fight against racism and antisemitism is one of the EU’s priorities. The European Commission presented an action plan against racism in September 2020, which sets out a series of measures for the next five years. This action plan calls for better enforcement of EU law, closer coordination, fair policing and protection, awareness raising and improved data collection.
On 4 march 2022 the Council adopted conclusions on combating racism and antisemitism. In these conclusions, the Council deplores the alarming rise in racist and antisemitic incidents in EU member states. It invites member states to develop action plans and strategies by the end of 2022, implementing the 2020 EU anti-racism action plan and the 2021 EU strategy on combating antisemitism.
The conclusions invite member states to urge media, social networks, and technology and communications sectors to apply codes of conduct agreed at European level and adopt solutions to rapidly detect, assess and remove illegal online hate speech. Member states should also strengthen their ability to prosecute illegal online hate crime and hate speech, including by establishing online monitoring centres and platforms where people can report hateful content.
Source: Council of the EU
