Racism
Tackling racial discrimination in the EU
On 21 March, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination was marked. The European Union has been founded on the values of respect for human dignity and rights, freedom, democracy, and equality. No-one in the EU should be discriminated based on its racial or ethnic origin.
In 2020 the European Commission stepped up its work in tackling persistent issues and presented the first EU Anti-Racism Action Plan, that set up a series of measures and brought together actors at all levels to address racism more effectively in the EU.
Despite this, certain issues persist. An EU survey from 2023 shows that more than half the concerned peoples faced discrimination based on their being Roma (65%), their skin colour (61%,) or their ethnic origin (60%).
In 2023 the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights reported that harassment and violence against people of African descent and Muslims in the EU has not improved since 2016. Discrimination was most common when searching for accommodation, looking for a job, at work or in education.
There is a distinctive need for further action. And as part of its new priorities, the Commission is working on a new EU Anti-racism Strategy, so that racism has no place in the EU.
More information
- EU Anti-racism Action Plan 2020-2025
- Eurobarometer survey on Discrimination in the European Union - December 2023
- Report: Being Black in the EU
- Report: Being Muslims in the EU
- Equality bodies for the promotion of equal treatment and non-discrimination
Share this article:
EU Reporter publishes articles from a variety of outside sources which express a wide range of viewpoints. The positions taken in these articles are not necessarily those of EU Reporter. Please see EU Reporter’s full Terms and Conditions of publication for more information EU Reporter embraces artificial intelligence as a tool to enhance journalistic quality, efficiency, and accessibility, while maintaining strict human editorial oversight, ethical standards, and transparency in all AI-assisted content. Please see EU Reporter’s full A.I. Policy for more information.
