Anti-Racism Strategy

Key points

The EESC:

• stresses that the implementation of the Anti-Racism Strategy 2026-2030 must be driven by real political will, given the worsening situation of racism in the EU;
• expects the strategy to prompt both EU and Member State institutions to redouble efforts to combat racism and structural discrimination, with rigorous evaluation of actions and results;
• is deeply concerned about the rise in racist acts, hostility fuelled by political discourse, hate speech and xenophobia, particularly affecting minorities, migrants and vulnerable groups;
• considers that incentive targets without requirements or monitoring limited the efficiency of the previous Anti-Racism Strategy, and calls for binding mechanisms in the new strategy, including common indicators, periodic reporting and conditional funding;
• notes the strengthening of enforcement of existing anti-discrimination legislation and calls for effective, proportionate and dissuasive penalties, as well as proactive use of infringement procedures by the Commission;
• encourages Member States to adopt comprehensive national plans with timelines, indicators and reporting, and to appoint well-resourced national coordinators with clear mandates;
• stresses the need to embed the fight against racism across society by ensuring long-term funding for civil society and targeted investments addressing its root causes;
• supports further evidence-based action, including studies on housing discrimination risks, and calls for discrimination testing and policies to prevent and sanction unequal access to housing;
• calls for better consideration of health inequalities to ensure equal access to quality healthcare, particularly for vulnerable and minority groups, including migrant women;
• emphasises the importance of education in addressing the historical roots of racism, recommending updated curricula, teacher training and an open approach to Europe’s history of colonialism and slavery;
• supports strengthening data collection and analysis, including through Eurostat, the FRA, and cooperation with national human rights institutions, to monitor trends and anticipate risks;
• calls for stronger action against racism in the workplace, encouraging collective bargaining to address anti-discrimination measures, company rules and training initiatives;
• welcomes increased EU funding to combat racism while calling for clearer allocation and potentially additional resources in the next EU budget;
• supports intergenerational fairness and children’s rights, calling for policies that promote equal opportunities and social mobility for young people from minority backgrounds;
• expresses concern about the rise of online hate and calls for stronger monitoring of platforms, action against algorithms amplifying hate, and stronger enforcement of EU digital legislation.