The following information is a summary of the conversation with Mr. Daniel Braun – Deputy Head of Cabinet for Commissioner Vĕra Jourová.
There is a number of positive and important developments within the European Commission relating to the fight against anti-Semitism and related post-holocaust issues. The European Commission has assigned the task of combatting anti-Semitism and other forms of hate crimes to European Commission First Vice President Mr. Frans Timmermans, and Commissioner for Justice, Consumers, and Gender Equality, Ms. Vĕra Jourová. They are steering Commission actions, which include the following key elements:
- Physical security of people;
- Implementation of the criminalization of hate speech;
- Development of best practices for reporting hate crimes;
- Implementation of the EU provisions of support to victims;
- Fighting hate speech online
- Continuation of cooperative dialogue with religious and ethnic communities; and
- Holocaust education and remembrance
An annual colloquium on tolerance and respect will serve as a forum for civil society organisations – including those representing religious and ethnic communities – to discuss these issues. The preliminary date for the colloquium is 1st and 2nd October 2015; and relevant civil society organisations will be invited to participate by the European Commission. It is hoped that the feedback received at this colloquium will positively contribute to further development and refinement of the European Commission’s strategy for combatting anti-Semitism and other hate crimes. In the lead up to the Colloquium the European Commission intends to collect views of stakeholders on the actions and possible gaps in the framework for the actions.
There are currently two permanent platforms within the European Commission that cover the issue of anti-Semitism:
i) Commission’s meetings with Member States, where compliance with existing laws are discussed; and
ii) Hate Crimes working party of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
The annual colloquium will represent a third (ad hoc) platform to reinforce existing efforts of the European Commission to ensure maximum inclusiveness and openness throughout the process.
The European Shoah Legacy Institute strongly believes that civil society organisations must embrace their role as key partners of the European Commission endeavor to combat anti-Semitism and other hate crimes within the European Union. To this end, we look forward to working cooperatively with the European Commission in the near future to develop a robust and all-encompassing strategy to effectively combat anti-Semitism and other hate crimes.