Action to combat racism, xenophobia, antisemitism in the countries applicant for membership

The European Parliament adopted its resolution on countering racism in the candidate countries drafted by M. Bastiaan BELDER (EDD, NL). The Parliament calls on the Commission and the Member States to take action and provide adequate financial measures aimed at helping the candidate countries in regard to human rights and the protection of minority rights. Member States and the candidate countries are also urged to ensure that their policies towards asylum seekers, refugees and immigrants are free of xenophobia and racism and provide a proper statutory framework of rights with full respect for the Geneva Convention on Refugees. The Parliament calls on the candidate countries to implement legislation similar to expected EU laws and with effective enforcement bodies : to counter institutional racism ; to protect minorities ; to safeguard minority languages ; to eliminate racism in public life, housing and employment ; and to develop their educational programmes to broaden awareness of the dangers of racism and xenophobia. It also wants full attention to be paid to countering racism, xenophobia and anti-semitism in the educational and training programmes for police officers, officials of judicial authorities and other public sector officials, and, in particular, those who are in direct contact with the general public. According to the EP, the Commission should ensure that the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia makes an appropriate contribution to extending the fight against racism, xenophobia and anti-semitism to the candidate countries and that it will cooperate as closely as possible with the Council of Europe's ECRI. It asks the European Monitoring Centre to prepare short reports on each candidate country indicating the minimum practical steps necessary to reach EU standards in respect of the fight against racism, xenophobia and anti-semitism. The European Parliament also stresses the importance of involving NGOs, grass roots organisations, trades unions, women's and youth organisations and ethnic group organisations in activities to counter racism, xenophobia and anti-semitism. The Parliament regrets the rise of organised racism in a number of the candidate countries and calls for the coordination of legislation against racial discrimination and urges the EU and candidate countries to cooperate closely to combat extremist and criminal racist organisations and organised crime including trafficking in migrants, and for both to pursue vigorously the prosecution of vilent racist offences. It considers that effective action will not only involve appropriate constitutional arrangements and the separation of powers but also the proper functioning of local courts and the local civil service, and calls on the Commission to monitor these aspects.�