Commissioner applauds adoption of EU-wide framework to combat racism and xenophobia.
“Racismand xenophobia have no place in Europe. Nor should it in any other partof the world. Dialogue and understanding should overcome hatred andprovocation,” said Jacques Barrot, Vice-President of the EuropeanCommission.
Barrot, who is in chargeof justice, freedom and security within the EU executive body, welcomedthe recent adoption by the EU Council of Justice and Interior Ministersof the so-called ‘Framework Decision’ on combating racism andxenophobia, seven years after it had first been presented by theEuropean Commission. “I warmly welcome theintroduction of severe and effective sanctions against racism andxenophobia that are direct violations of the principles of liberty,democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms and therule of law, principles upon which the European Union is founded andwhich are common to the Member State,” Barrot stated.
The Framework Decision is considered as an important tool for sanctioning on the EU level racist and xenophobic crimes.** EU member states will have twoyears to introduce severe and effective sanctions of at least between 1and 3 years of imprisonment against those who intentionally publiclyincite to violence or hatred by dissemination or distribution oftracts, pictures or other material, directed against persons defined byreference to race, colour, religion, descent or national or ethnicorigin. Similar sanctions willapply to those who publicly condone, deny or grossly trivialise crimesof genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes as defined in thestatute of the International Criminal Court and crimes defined by theTribunal of Nüremberg. But EU ministers stopped short of specifically outlawing Holocaust denial.
Germany, which chaired the EU in the first half of 2007 had pushed hardfor a blanket ban on Holocaust denial as a moral obligation because ofits Nazi past, but the bid has consistently fallen foul of free speechconcerns.
Countries like Britain, Ireland and the Scandinavian states resistedover the years unified legislation as a violation of civil liberties. Accordingto a report of the European Network Against Racism (ENAR), extremismand racism are on the rise throughout Europe and racist politicaldiscourse is increasingly common in mainstream European politics. Datacollected show that there is “evidence of public acceptance of racistcrime and mistreatment of ethnic and religious minorities, includingwithin the police and other relevant authorities”.
**It is our hope that European nationalists neuter this insanity, especially since history clearly exposes the anti-white fraud and hate legislation like this inflicts on our people. — Ed.