Racism and Xenophobia in the EU Member States trends, developments and good practice Annual Report 2003/2004 - Part 2 Racism and Xenophobia in the EU Member States trends, developments and good practice EUMC – Annual Report 2003 / 2004 Part 2 Annual Report 2003 / 2004 - Part 2 - European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia Foreword Foreword by Anastasia Crickley Chair of the EUMC and Beate Winkler Director of the EUMC The Annual Report 2003/4 of the EUMC covers a year which brought about decisive developments for the European Union. 2003 was the year when the two European Council anti-discrimination Directives were due to be transposed into the Member States’ national legislation. The enlargement of the EU to embrace ten central, eastern and southern European countries in May 2004 had a significant influence on both the political work within EU institutions and on public discourse. Both developments are strongly reflected in the EUMC’s report. As in the previous years, legislative initiatives constitute a major theme of monitoring and reporting. This year, the Annual Report has focused on the Member States’ achievements in adopting their laws, regulations and administrative provisions as necessary according to the two Council Directives. The deadline for the transposition of the Council Directive 2000/43/EC (implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin) was 19 July 2003, and for the Council Directive 2000/78/EC (establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation) it was 2 December 2003. By the middle of 2004 the European Commission was taking legal action against five Member States for their failure to pass all the national measures required by the Directives. By then most Member States had fully or partially transposed them. Discrimination in the area of education, and initiatives on how to prevent it, also form a major theme of this year’s report. Information has been drawn from each Member State on direct and indirect discrimination in the education sector. Whilst evidence of direct discrimination relates mostly to regulatory or administrative practices, indirect discrimination is indicated by the fact that migrant and minority groups are disproportionately represented in educational establishments with lower academic demands, characterised by early dropout rates, and lower school completion rates. The Annual Report makes clear that amongst the groups most vulnerable to discrimination, Roma, Sinti, Gypsy and Traveller pupils are particularly disadvantaged in many of the EU 15 countries. 3 Annual Report 2003 / 2004 - Part 2 - European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia With regard to the new EU Member States, although they were still Accession Countries in 2003, the EUMC decided to include them in the report through a special chapter which introduces an overview of issues in their education sectors. This has allowed an initial comparison of issues between them and the EU 15. For one thing, while the issue of religious symbols or headscarves in schools is of some significance in some of the EU15, it does not seem to be an issue of great debate in the ten new Member States. In the Accession Countries there is a stronger emphasis on the educational situation of national minorities, rather than immigrant minorities. Outside the field of education, the Annual Report looks at national developments in the areas of racist and xenophobic violence and crimes, and discrimination in the sectors of employment and, for the first time, housing. As in the previous years, it is also able to highlight an increasing range of examples of good practices against racism and discrimination across the EU. Over the coming year the EUMC will continue actively to contribute to fostering the principles of equality and diversity, to raising public awareness of racism and discrimination, and to measuring progress towards a fair European society free from racism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and antisemitism. Finally, we take this opportunity to thank the Management Board and the staff of the EUMC for their work, and all associated with the work of the EUMC for commitment and support they have given to the EUMC during the whole year. Anastasia Crickley Beate Winkler Chair Director 4 Annual Report 2003 / 2004 - Part 2 - European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia Contents Foreword .........................................................................................................3 Contents .........................................................................................................5 Executive Summary .......................................................................9 Introduction.....................................................................................9 Racism and racial discrimination in a wider perspective in 2003............................................................11 Legislative initiatives.......................................................................11 Racist violence and crimes.............................................................12 Discrimination in employment.........................................................15 Discrimination in housing ...............................................................17 Racism and discrimination in the education sector and initiatives on how to prevent it....................................................19 Minorities and the education sector in the 10 Accession Countries.......................................................................................22 1. Racism and racial discrimination in a wider perspective in 2003.........................................................25 1.1. Legislative initiatives ...................................................................27 1.1.1. Belgium ..........................................................................................28 1.1.2. Denmark.........................................................................................30 1.1.3. Germany ........................................................................................31 1.1.4. Greece ...........................................................................................32 1.1.5. Spain..............................................................................................33 1.1.6. France............................................................................................34 1.1.7. Ireland ............................................................................................36 1.1.8. Italy.................................................................................................38 1.1.9. Luxembourg ...................................................................................39 1.1.10. The Netherlands.............................................................................39 1.1.11. Austria............................................................................................40 1.1.12. Portugal..........................................................................................42 1.1.13. Finland ...........................................................................................43 5 Annual Report 2003 / 2004 - Part 2 - European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia 1.1.14. Sweden.......................................................................................... 45 1.1.15. United Kingdom ............................................................................. 46 1.2. Racist violence and crimes......................................................... 48 1.2.1. Belgium.......................................................................................... 50 1.2.2. Denmark........................................................................................ 51 1.2.3. Germany........................................................................................ 52 1.2.4. Greece........................................................................................... 53 1.2.5. Spain ............................................................................................. 55 1.2.6. France ........................................................................................... 56 1.2.7. Ireland............................................................................................ 57 1.2.8. Italy................................................................................................ 58 1.2.9. Luxembourg................................................................................... 59 1.2.10. The Netherlands ............................................................................ 59 1.2.11. Austria ........................................................................................... 61 1.2.12. Portugal ......................................................................................... 62 1.2.13. Finland........................................................................................... 63 1.2.14. Sweden.......................................................................................... 64 1.2.15. United Kingdom ............................................................................. 65 1.3. Employment ................................................................................. 67 1.3.1. Belgium.......................................................................................... 70 1.3.2. Denmark........................................................................................ 71 1.3.3.