UK can lead European fight against racism

3.44.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 28th Aug 2007

Commenting on a report on European developments in 2006 in combating racism by the newly established EU Fundamental Rights Agency, Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP, Liberal Democrat European justice spokeswoman and vice-president of European Parliament's Subcommittee on Human Rights said:

"EU laws outlawing race discrimination are driving positive change. But it is a scandal in a European Union which claims to stand for human rights that 7 years after those laws came into force, many EU member states still lack effective enforcement or sanctions, or redress for victims. The European Commission must be encouraged to take these countries to the European Court of Justice."

"An increase in recorded racist crimes has been noted in 8 Member States, but that is out of only 11 which have collected adequate criminal justice data in recent years. The fact that the rest of the (then) 25 states did not bother to collect them indicates a lack of seriousness in tackling the scourge of race hate crime."

"It is essential that all Member States collect appropriate data on ethnic identity in order to measure the extent of racial disadvantage. While the misuse of such data for 'profiling' must be prevented, the very act of collection is not in itself discriminatory as some claim."

"The UK, while as we know hardly perfect, has a lead in Europe in the vigour with which racism is tackled. It is a field in which we can and should make a full contribution in bringing the rest of Europe up to speed."