The European Parliament adopted a resolution on strengthening the fight against racism, xenophobia and hate crime.

The resolution was tabled by the EPP, ALDE, S&D, GUE/NGL, Greens/EFA and ECR groups. It recalls that although all Member States have introduced the prohibition of discrimination into their legal systems, discrimination and hate crimes are on the rise in the EU.

Framework Directive: Parliament refers to its previous requests for a review of Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA, in particular as regards expressions and acts of anti-Semitism, religious intolerance, anti-Gypsyism, homophobia and transphobia. It wants the Framework Decision to incorporate a broader spectrum of graduated sanctions, including, where appropriate, alternative penalties such as community service, while fully respecting fundamental rights.

Equality Directive: Members recall that the Council has not adopted the Commission proposal of 2008 for a Council directive on protecting equal treatment outside employment irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation after 5 years of debate, owing to staunch opposition by a few Member States. They call for approval without delay of this directive, which represents one of the main EU instruments to guarantee genuine equality in the EU and to combat bias and discrimination.

Reporting and data: Member States should encourage the reporting of hate crimes and of every racist and xenophobic crime, and ensure adequate protection for people who report crimes and for the victims of racist and xenophobic crime. Parliament stresses the need for the collection of broader, reliable data on hate crime.

Members also call for:

• measures to ensure implementation of national Roma integration strategies and human-rights-compliant policies using available funds, including EU funds, while monitoring respect for Directive 2004/38/EC on the right to move and reside freely;
• implementation of Parliament's repeated requests for a roadmap for equality on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity;
• the EU to sign the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (UNCERD), given that all Member States have already ratified it.