A new report published to mark International Holocaust Remembrance Day has criticised EU member states for failing to adequately address antisemitism, largely due to serious shortcomings in monitoring and recording antisemitic incidents.
The report, released by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), finds that most EU countries lack reliable and comparable data on antisemitism, significantly undermining their ability to respond effectively. Inconsistent definitions of what constitutes an antisemitic incident, combined with weak reporting mechanisms, mean that discrimination against Jews often goes unrecorded — with some member states reporting not a single incident.
The findings come against the backdrop of a sharp rise in antisemitism across Europe following the Hamas attacks on Israel in October 2023 and the subsequent Israeli military campaign in Gaza. According to an FRA survey conducted in 2024, 96 per cent of Jewish respondents said they had encountered antisemitism in the previous year, with 64 per cent stating they faced it “all the time”. Fewer than one in five respondents believed their national governments were effective in combating antisemitism.
The report, Monitoring and recording antisemitism in the EU, identifies inadequate data collection as a central obstacle. National authorities across the bloc use differing categories and standards, often failing to collect data on discrimination or to flag antisemitic bias within reported hate crimes. In many cases, incidents are recorded without reference to antisemitism, partly due to data protection concerns around recording a victim’s religion or ethnicity.
To address these gaps, the FRA calls for a comprehensive overhaul of national recording systems. It urges member states to equip police forces with effective hate crime recording mechanisms and to provide specialised training enabling officers to identify antisemitic bias. Human rights bodies, the report notes, can play a key role in supporting improved monitoring and data collection.
The agency also highlights the importance of regular national surveys in all EU countries to capture the lived experiences of Jewish communities. Such surveys, it argues, would allow governments to tailor their policies more effectively and address the widespread under-reporting of antisemitism revealed in repeated FRA studies.
Closer cooperation is another key recommendation. The report stresses the need for sustained collaboration between police, the judiciary, civil society organisations, Jewish communities, human rights bodies and technology companies, both at national and European level. Exchanging good practices through existing EU-wide working groups and conferences could further strengthen national responses, although the FRA emphasises that adequate resources are essential to translate guidance into practice.
By law, EU member states are obliged to guarantee equality and non-discrimination, as enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union and the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. However, the FRA warns that insufficient monitoring and recording continue to hinder efforts to uphold these commitments in the face of widespread antisemitism.
Presenting the report, FRA Director Sirpa Rautio said:
“Jews across Europe continue to face persistent antisemitism. Countering this requires concerted efforts underpinned by robust data that captures the full scale of antisemitism in Europe. Only then can we hold offenders to account, deliver justice for victims, and foster a Europe where Jews can live their lives freely and openly.”
The report covers all EU member states, as well as Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia, and builds on data collected since 2004 by the FRA and its predecessor, the EU Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia.
