By Maud Swinnen
The European Jewish Congress (EJC) welcomed the recent adoption by the EU Council of Ministers of the Framework Decision to Combat Racism and Xenophobia.
“For the first time in the history of the EU, victims of racist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic acts will be protected under blanket legislation throughout the European continent,” the EJC said in a statement.
It expressed the hope that the Framework decision will become an important instrument in adopting the relevant legislation in each of the individual Member States
Presented for the first time 7 years ago, the Framework Decision contains proposals that will enable EU member states to adopt legislation which will penalise those who seek to incite racial violence and hatred.
It was promoted by the European Jewish Congress ever since.
The EJC recognizes the importance of the Framework Decision in the fight against Holocaust denial by applying sanctions against those who condone or deny crimes of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.
The pan-European Jewish group applauded the efforts made by the French presidency of the European Union, as well as European Commission Vice President Jacques Barrot, who, it says, “worked relentlessly towards the adoption of the Framework.”
The European Council on Tolerance and Reconciliation (ECTR), an organisation initiated by the EJC and led by former Polish President Aleksander Kwasniewski and EJC President Moshe Kantor, “looks forward to working with the European Union on the implementation of the Framework,” the statement said.
The ECTR, launched in Paris in October, is comprised of former heads of European nations which have a history of promoting tolerance and reconciliation.
