Brussels is considering an upgrade to the European Union’s race equality law that’s a part of a larger plan to combat racism.
A draft of the action plan proposes to investigate whether the law contains equality directive has gaps, particularly on policing and law enforcement, The Guardian reports.
The EU’s move follows an official report that revealed Europeans of African descent face a “dire” picture of discrimination in everyday life, with almost one-third having reported experiencing racial harassment in the past five years.
“It is not enough to be against racism,” the draft states. “We have to be active against it.”
The plan calls for the following:
- The EU’s fundamental rights agency to work with EU member states on preventing unlawful racial profiling by police and encourage the reporting of hate crimes.
- Seeks to revive a 2008 draft directive for equal treatment in the public sector that stalled in the EU council of ministers. EU governments blocked the law, saying it trod on national competences, such as education and welfare.
- Urges EU governments to draw up anti-racism action plans by the end of 2022. Only 15 of the 27 EU member states have such plans.
