” “The two faces of prejudice” “

The international Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination is to be celebrated on 21 March. We discussed with Vera Egenberger , director of ENAR, how the struggle against racial discrimination is being conducted at the European level. ENAR is the European Network against Racism: an umbrella association representing over 600 European non-governmental organizations whose objective consists in the campaign against racism and xenophobia, antisemitism and islamophobia and in the promotion of equality of treatment. It links the local and national activities with the European dimension and with the Union’s role in combating racism. As you see it, what is the present-day reality of racism in Europe? “Racism in Europe has two faces: at the individual level, that of the victims, the situation has certainly not improved, far from it. Unfortunately the media continue daily to report cases of public aggression against foreigners. Stereotypes survive. Forms of discrimination are the order of the day. In spite of that, the policy against racism now forms part of the agenda of the EU and of many member states. There’s also a growing consciousness of the problem at the level of the decision-making centres. A process of change has been embarked on, but as far as the collective consciousness is concerned we cannot yet speak of any decisive transformation in attitude”. Are the national and European juridical provisions sufficient to combat this phenomenon? “Today I would say no. But many juridical provisions are in the process of being approved. Thanks to the Treaty of Amsterdam of 1997, which incorporated general non-discrimination clauses, some directives have been finally approved. We are now awaiting the national parliaments to take on board the EU legislation in such a way that the victims of acts of racism will be able to commence legal proceedings before the courts. The framework-decision currently being discussed at the European Parliament would in fact define racist acts as a crime that may be prosecuted under penal law: i.e. racism conceived as a real crime. The decision is likely to be adopted by the Council. However, rendering access to justice easier will depend on how the decision is received and applied at the national level”. How does your Network try to combat the scourge of racism in Europe? “As a European network, ENAR in involved in lobbying activities aimed at contributing to the struggle against racism and xenophobia. We are preparing a questionnaire directed at the national Parliaments to help us understand exactly what the situation is in the various countries. That will be followed up by a comparative publication; a kind of monitoring of the process of receiving EU legislation at the national level. Moreover, we are planning to hold a pan-European conference on racism in Berlin in September. Its objective will also be that of raising the minimum standards of protection established by the framework-decision; to achieve this, we will ask the rapporteur of the European Parliament for a public audition. Lastly, it should not be forgotten that racism means exclusion: our campaign for citizenship in favour of immigrants from third countries aims at guaranteeing the right to vote, the right to participate actively in the decision-making processes and the right to education”. G.A.G.