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Activities of the European Union Activities of the European Union
againstagainst
Racism and IntoleranceRacism and Intolerance
Presentation: Peter FleissnerEuropean Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia
Vienna, Austria
Rensselaer, 10 April 2001
Outline of the presentationOutline of the presentation
• The legal framework of the European Union against racism and xenophobia
• Activities of the European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia (EUMC)
• Attitudes against minorities in the EU15 (empirical evidence)
• Concluding considerations
Timeline of EU AntiTimeline of EU Anti--DiscriminationDiscrimination
• Since the beginning: DG Employment (DGV) • 1993: Starting Line Group founded
(informal network of 400 organisations within EU15)
• 1993: “Starting point” proposal• 1994: Lobbying and info campaign• 1997: Year against Racism, EUMC founded,
Article 13 accepted (see next slide)• 1998: ENAR founded, new “Starting Line”• 1999: Draft Proposals/Action Programme• 2000: EP reports (Bastiaan Belder, Sarah Ludford,
Kathalijne Maria Buitenweg) • 2000: legislative package against racism passed
European Council
Article 13 of the Treaty Article 13 of the Treaty establishing the European Community establishing the European Community “Without prejudice to the other provisions
of this Treaty and within the limits of the powers conferred by it upon the Community, the Council, acting unanimously on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may take appropriate action to combat discrimination based on sex, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation”
EC 2000: Legislative measures to EC 2000: Legislative measures to combat racial discriminationcombat racial discrimination
• Council Directive for Equal Treatment in Employment and Occupation (Search for: 300L0078)Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 on five of the six grounds covered in Article 13 (sex excluded)
• Council Directive for equal treatment irrespective of racial or ethnic origin (Search for: 300L0043)Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000, “Race directive”, goes beyond employment
• Community Action Programme to combat discrimination (2001 to 2006) (Search for: 300D0750)Council Decision of 27 November 2000 to support the development of practical actions in the Union
http://www.europa.eu.int/eur-lex/en/index.html
EUROPEAN MONITORING CENTRE ON RACISM AND XENOPHOBIA
OBSERVATOIRE EUROPÉEN DES PHÉNOMÈNES RACISTES ET XÉNOPHOBES
EUROPÄISCHE STELLE ZUR BEOBACHTUNG VON RASSISMUS UND FREMDENFEINDLICHKEIT
Founded 1998 in Vienna, AustriaAt present 25 staff
Tel +43 (1) 58030-0Website: http://eumc.eu.int
EUMC Activities EUMC Activities • Networking
– RAXEN and RAREN– National Round Tables, EU Round Table
• Research and Documentation– research studies – electronic database
• Working in the European Institutional Context– Charter of political parties for a non-racist society– Monitoring the implementation of article 13
• Information and Public Relations– Website– Annual Report (on the website), “Equal Voices”, Monthly
Bulletin– Press Releases and Press Conferences
Special areas of society related to Special areas of society related to racism and “racism and “xenophilicxenophilic” practices” practices
• Legislation and Politics– Article 13, Charter, Working Group "Key Issues"
• Education– Teaching the Teachers
• Media– Media Conference in Cologne 1999
• Society– European Foundations, EUROBAROMETER 2000
Attitudes towards minorities Attitudes towards minorities in the EU in the EU
• Empirical Results • Eurobarometer 2000
• Theoretical reasoning• What do we mean by “racism”? • And how could we fight it?
Empirical evidence Empirical evidence
Eurobarometer – spring 2000– 17000 interviews– About 1000 per Member State
Standard Standard EurobarometerEurobarometer
• investigates regularly attitudes of the EU population • twice a year • in the 15 Member States of the European Union • Organized by Directorate General for “Education
and Culture” • Conducted by a private enterprise, INRA, Brussels,
Belgium– 16.300 interviews– About 1000 per Member State – 1000 each in western and eastern part of Germany – 1000 in the UK, 300 in Northern Ireland
Eurobarometer 53Eurobarometer 53
• 12 questions added to the standard questionnaire • in April/May 2000• First poll in 1997, less questions • Exhaustive study by SORA, Vienna, Austria
(download it from http://eumc.eu.int)• Publication and Press Conference in Brussels in
March 2001: “Day against Racism”
Selected ResultsSelected Results
• Typology of EU population by attitude • changes between 1997 and 2000• Positive assessments/fears • Essential factors of influence
Typology of EU population Typology of EU population • Actively tolerant (21%)
– Not disturbed, but enriched by minorities, they do not insist inassimilation, request policies in favor of minorities
• Passively tolerant (39%)– Positive attitude, they do not insist in assimilation, but do not request
policies in favor of minorities, neutral
• Ambivalent (25%)– Not disturbed by minorities, minorities do not have positive effect on
society, in favor of assimilation
• Intolerant (14%)– strong negative attitude, are disturbed by minorities, in favor of
assimilation and Repatriation, lower level of education and lower socio-economic status
Typology of EU population Typology of EU population
• In 13 EU Member States there are more “actively tolerant” than “intolerant” people (Exceptions: GR and BE)
• Largest group: “ambivalent” (max. GR, min. SE) and “passively tolerant” (max. ES, min. GR)
• “ambivalent” group open against political influence
• There are a few polarized societies (e.g. BE, DK, DE, FR, UK)
Clusters of attitudes in the EU15Clusters of attitudes in the EU15
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
GRPTIRIT
ESAT
EU15BEGBDEFRLUNLFI
DKSE
actively tolerant passively tolerant ambivalent intolerant
Changes betweenChanges between 1997 and 20001997 and 2000
Ambivalent results:+ more citizen would like better relationships
between minorities and majority + more citizen request political measures for the
improvement of coexistence - increasing fear that social peace is endangered
and the level of social welfare is reduced
Positive Attitudes Positive Attitudes
• Majority of people optimistic for a multi-cultural society (constant since 1997)
• Increasing number of people state that immigrants enrich the cultural life (increase from 33% 1997 to 48% 2000)
• A large majority is against statement like “foreigners go home”
Fears and anxietiesFears and anxieties
Because of
Increasing unemploymentLoss of social welfare Schools become worse A small, but substantial minority feels itself personally disturbed by the presence of minorities
Essential influencing factors Essential influencing factors
Voting behavior (“greens”, Social democrats +; right wing populists -)Level of education (+)Personal relationships with persons of other ethnic background and culture (+, exception: second generation immigrants)Experience of unemployment (-)If a person is afraid of social conflicts, she/he does not believe in any enrichment of the cultural life by minorities
More resultsMore results
• 20% are in favor of cultural assimilation of foreigners (constant since 1997)
• In some countries the number of non-respondents is high (e.g. AT; GE)
Do you personally find the presence of people of other nationalities disturbing?
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
GreeceAustriaDenmark
GermanyBelgium
IrelandFranceGreat Britain
EU15NetherlandsItaly
SwedenLuxembourg
FinnlandPortugalSpain
not disturbing don't know disturbing
Do you personally find the presence of people of another race disturbing?
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
BelgiumGreeceFrance
GermanyDenmark
IrelandAustria
EU15Great Britain
ItalySwedenPortugalFinnland
NetherlandsLuxembourg
Spainnot disturbing don't know disturbing
Is the presence of members of minorities a reason for letting you feel unsecure?
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
GreeceDenmarkGermanyBelgiumAustriaPortugal
FranceEU15NetherlandsIreland
ItalyLuxembourGreat Britain
SpainFinnlandSweden
tend to disagree don't know tend to agree
What about PEOPLE COMING FROM EASTERN What about PEOPLE COMING FROM EASTERN EUROPE who wish to work in the West?EUROPE who wish to work in the West?
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
GermanyLuxembourgNetherlands
BelgiumGreeceAustriaFranceIreland
Great BritainEU15
PortugalFinland
ItalyDenmark
SpainSweden
be accepted, without restrictions be accepted, but with restrictions not be accepted
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%
GreeceGermany
LuxembourgPortugal
Great BritainAustriaIreland
BelgiumFrance
EU15Italy
FinnlandSpain
NetherlandsSweden
Denmark
tend to disagree don't know tend to agree
AcceptanceAcceptance of of thethe statementstatement„„All All ForeignersForeigners shouldshould bebe sentsent homehome, and also , and also theirtheir childrenchildren, , bornborn in in
thethe EU15)EU15)
I agree with the statement:I agree with the statement:„„Every foreignerEvery foreigner, , born here or abroad, should be sent back to the born here or abroad, should be sent back to the
country of his/her origincountry of his/her origin””
0
5
1 0
1 5
2 0
2 5
3 0
3 5
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0
left Neutral right
Political self-placement
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
lehne ab
weiss nicht
stimme zu
West
0
20
40
60
80
100
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
lehne ab
weiss nicht
stimme zu
East
Left neutral right .
“foreigners go Home” vs. polit.self-placementin Germany
AlteAlte BundeslanderBundeslander
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Unter 1516-19studiere20+
0.00
20.00
40.00
60.00
80.00
100.00
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Unter 1516-19studiere20+
West
Ost
Left neutral right
Educ. length vs. polit.self-placement in Germany
TypologyTypology byby age age (Germany: Old and New L(Germany: Old and New Läändernder))
intolerantpassiv
tolerant aktiv tolerant ambivalent gesamt
West 15 - 24 Jahre 13 35 29 23 10025 - 39 Jahre 15 30 31 24 100
40 - 54 Jahre 14 29 22 34 100
55 + Jahre 26 25 18 30 100
gesamt 18 29 24 28 100
Ost 15 - 24 Jahre 26 30 25 18 100
25 - 39 Jahre 18 30 23 29 100
40 - 54 Jahre 12 35 22 31 100
55 + Jahre 17 27 18 38 100
gesamt 17 30 21 31 100
Differences in GermanyGermany(Eurobarometer 2000 (Eurobarometer 2000 –– Germany)Germany)
• Share of „Intolerant“ by age– 15 to 24 years old:
• West 13%; East 26%– 55- years old and more
• West 26%; East 17%• Laws for the improvement of interethnic relations
needed– West 30%; East 38%
• multicultural optimism• West 51%; East 56%
• cultural assimilation needed• West 59%; East 68%
AcceptanceAcceptance of of immigrantsimmigrants
8
4
11
8
22
17
18
16
32
21
58
58
62
66
58
64
63
69
49
57
29
32
22
21
16
13
15
10
13
15
6
6
5
5
5
6
5
5
6
7
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%
Muslime (WEST)
Muslime (OST)
Osteuropäer (WEST)
Osteuropäer (OST)
Flüchtlinge (WEST)
Flüchtlinge (OST)
Asylbewerber (WEST)
Asylbewerber (OST)
aus anderen EU-Ländern (WEST)
aus anderen EU-Ländern (OST)
Aufnahme ohne Beschränkung Aufnahme mit Beschränkung keine Aufnahme weiß nicht
BlamingBlaming MinoritiesMinorities forfor negative negative featuresfeatures of of societysociety* Significant Difference Stimme
eher zuStimme eher
nicht zu Weiß nicht
In Schulen mit zu vielen Kindern dieser Minderheiten sinkt die Qualität des Unterrichts (WEST) 60* 26* 14*
(OST) 48* 35* 17*Angehörige dieser Minderheitengruppen nutzen das soziale System aus (WEST) 54* 28* 18*
(OST) 60* 22* 18*Die Anwesenheit von Angehörigen dieser Minderheitengruppen ist ein Unsicherheitsfaktor (WEST) 42* 37* 21*
(OST) 51* 32* 18*Angehörige dieser Minderheitengruppen werden von Behörden bevorzugt behandelt (WEST) 26 55 19
(OST) 26 51 23Durch die Anwesenheit von Angehörigen dieser Minderheitengruppen erhöht sich die Arbeitslosigkeit (WEST) 57* 27* 16*
(OST) 65* 22* 13*Sie (die Zuwanderer) sind überdurchschnittlich oft an Straftaten beteiligt (WEST) 57* 29* 14*
(OST) 67* 19* 14*
What do we mean by racism? What do we mean by racism?
• “Societal” construction• Linked to an ideology of superiority• And to characteristic indicators (“real” or
“constructed”)– biologic variant: appearance– cultural variant: religion, language, living space
• In any case a process of erroneous generalization towards individuals
A hypothesis on the genesis of A hypothesis on the genesis of racism racism
Imagination
Perception-
Interact1
Interact2…
..
What can we do What can we do against racism and xenophobia? against racism and xenophobia?
• Organizing concrete processes of social learning where one
• De-constructs und re-constructs the “alien” as “my own”
• Strong involvement of civil society (NGOs) in partnership with public bodies
• Within a sound legal framework of non-discrimination
The FutureThe Future
Will the Charter of Fundamental Rights of
the European Union lead to
a Constitution?
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