The European Commission has adopted a new EU Anti-Racism Strategy, calling for a Europe free from racism, where every individual can thrive, fully participate in society, and contribute to its stability and prosperity. Professor Adam from the Brussels School of Governance acknowledges progress in addressing racism, but concrete actions the Commission intends to take ’remain unclear’.
The European Network Against Racism (ENAR) argues that not enough has been made. “Without binding obligations and real accountability, this risks becoming another exercise in political branding rather than a tool for racial justice,” ENAR says.
Money alone not enough to fight racism
“At a time when European values are under pressure, this strategy is not just a choice, it is a necessity, because the consequences of racism are tangible,” said Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib during the press conference presenting the Anti-Racism Strategy. “Ethnic and social discrimination costs almost €13bn every year. That represents a vast pool of talent and skills being wasted. We cannot afford it, and history leaves us with no excuses,” Ms Lahbib added.
For ENAR, financial figures are not an appropriate benchmark for measuring the true weight and impact of racial discrimination in Europe. “The newly released EU Anti-Racism Strategy is dangerously disconnected from the violence racialised people face every day in Europe. From discriminatory and deadly policing to the criminalisation of migrants and the increasing scrutiny of anti-racist NGOs, this strategy recycles old approaches, relies on voluntary commitments, and avoids confronting the EU’s own role in sustaining structural racism,” ENAR says.
Beyond losses, the EU is also looking at potential gains. “In the next European Union budget, we are proposing to double funding for equality, reaching up to €3.6bn to support the fight against discrimination and to strengthen our democracies,” Commissioner Lahbib announced.
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Progress is ongoing…
Over the past decade, the EU has made notable progress in addressing racism, particularly by tackling barriers created by racial discrimination and mainstreaming anti-racist objectives across relevant European policies. Yet the latest Eurobarometer on discrimination shows that nearly two out of three Europeans still perceive racial discrimination as widespread in their countries.
“If you had looked at the document ten years ago, you would have been absolutely amazed, as an anti-racist activist,” said Ilke Adam, Associate Political Science Professor at the Brussels School of Governance at Vrije Universiteit Brussels, while speaking to EU Perspectives. Ms Adam leads the Research Centre for Migration, Diversity and Justice.
“There is now recognition of the link with the colonial past, the use of the term ‘structural racism’ beyond individual prejudice, references to mainstreaming across sectors, and even commemoration of slavery and colonialism. None of this existed in European policy documents before Black Lives Matter, which clearly shifted the discourse,” Ms Adam stressed.
…but racism still visible
According to the Commission, the new strategy aims to combat racism in all its forms through the full implementation and enforcement of EU anti-discrimination legislation; sustained efforts to remove barriers and promote inclusion in education, employment, healthcare and housing; and the development of anti-racist partnerships at all levels of society. The strategy also seeks to strengthen existing anti-discrimination rules, including measures to combat hate speech and hate crime. This includes capacity-building, better protection of victims under existing EU legislation such as the Victims’ Rights Directive, and an assessment of the harmonisation of definitions of online hate crimes, while fully respecting freedom of expression.
Racism is visible in many aspects like border violence in the Mediterranean, militarisation of borders, or criminalisation of migrants. – Ilke Adam, Associate Political Science Professor at the Brussels School of Governance
Anti-racism can be pursued through many channels, yet these remain unclear when examining the concrete actions the Commission intends to take. Racism, however, is not merely rhetorical. “Racism is visible in border violence in the Mediterranean, militarisation of borders, criminalisation of migrants, erosion of social protection for all but migrants in particular, and increasingly restrictive migration policies. There is no longer any shame in allowing refugees to sleep on the streets, even though Belgium has been repeatedly condemned by the European Court of Human Rights. This is the deeply contradictory context in which the anti-racism strategy operates,” Ms Adam added.
She also said that the new EU Anti-Racism Plan is like an island in a broader context that fundamentally contradicts it. According to Ms Adam, the real question is not the strategy itself, but what concrete action will follow.
The weight of EU’s silence
According to Ms Adam, some room for action still remains. “As an example, the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV) supporting anti-racist activism is still active, while in many member states such initiatives have been curtailed and anti-racist organisations are facing surveillance and scrutiny. Funding has been cut not only for these organisations but also for equality bodies. Yet one of the EU’s major achievements following the 2000 Racial Equality Directive was precisely the establishment of equality bodies tasked with combating racism,” Professor Adam explained.
“At national level, there may be an anti-racist action plan and, in some member states, a relatively progressive discourse. But there are also glaring silences in the strategy,” Ms Adam said. “Silences on police violence, and even more so on structural racism in migration policies, border management, and institutional practices targeting migrants, who are increasingly granted far fewer rights than nationals.”
