European Commission reflected on the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan and the work against racism with an online Zoom event “Tackling Racism and Racial Discrimination” held on 21 April and was also shared live on the EU Infopoint Facebook page.

During his opening speech, Michael Docherty, from the EU Programme Support Office stated that “The current European Commission has recognised that it is now time not only to talk openly about institutionalised racism but, more importantly, to take actions to change it. To this end, an EU Anti-Racism Action Plan has been drawn up covering the years from 2020-2025.”

The online event held on Wednesday also provided valuable remarks from Thibault Balthazar, from Equality, Democracy and Rule of Law Unit in the Secretariat General of the European Commission. Mr. Balthazar emphasised the importance of acting at all levels and with all actors in combating racism and racial discrimination. He stated that "The EU anti-racism action plan acknowledges that racism is not only perpetrated by individuals but is also structural. To tackle structural racism, we need the integration of racial and ethnic origin equality in all EU policy areas. We also need to harness all legal, policy and budgetary tools and mobilise all actors in a common endeavour”.

During the event with the moderation of Fezile Osum, the Project Coordinator of the Refugee Rights Association following topics have been discussed; locally insufficient legal framework with regards to hate speech related to race, colour or ethnic background; profiling that amounts to discrimination in the EU and good examples to combat against it under-reporting; policies to tackle the high rate of discrimination in housing and bullying; racism and discrimination in the education system.
 
You may watch the webinar at this link