Respect for fundamental rights was discussed as part of the Justice component of the Justice and Home Affairs Council (JHA) on Friday 10 March. EU Justice Ministers gave the green light to conclusions on the application of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the role of civil society. They also discussed the state of the fight against racism and antisemitism.
An enabling environment for civil society organisations
Building on the European Commission’s annual report on the implementation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights (see EUROPE 13078/27), the adopted conclusions are dedicated to defenders of human rights and civil society organisations (CSOs).
In particular, they call on Member States to maintain a supportive environment that is “without unjustified interference by the State”. The conclusions therefore call on EU countries to actively defend CSOs from attacks – including online attacks – through targeted measures.
Furthermore, the text emphasises the need for sustainable funding. While encouraging the fair and sufficient distribution of public funds and greater accessibility to EU funding, it notes “that funding of CSOs should not solely be dependent on public funds, in order to safeguard their independence”.
Finally, the conclusions encourage EU countries and the European Commission to include these organisations as part of the political and legislative processes.
Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders welcomed the adoption of the text and announced that the Commission would present specific proposals at the end of 2023 to empower civil society actors to preserve civic space.
Read the conclusions: https://aeur.eu/f/5qx
Strengthening the fight against racism and antisemitism
The ministers also reviewed European and national actions against racism and antisemitism. Placed on the agenda by the Swedish Presidency of the EU Council, the discussion aimed to promote a structured and long-term approach within the Council to ensure better coordination between Member States. “I was happy to hear ministers supporting this idea and the Council will regularly come back to this issue”, said the Swedish Minister for Justice Gunnar Strömmer.
The Ministers also exchanged views on their national action plans under the Commission’s ‘Action Plan against Racism’ (see EUROPE 13026/19) as well as on their national strategies to combat antisemitism, as set out in the dedicated EU strategy (see EUROPE 12805/26). These measures will be the subject of a Commission implementation report at the end of 2023 and in 2024, respectively.
Finally, Reynders noted that “racist, xenophobic and anti-Semitic hate speech and hate crime have been criminalised in the EU since the 2008 Framework Decision [...], 13 infringement proceedings are pending for incorrect or incomplete transposition”. He called on Member States to ensure that the legislation works “as it should”. (Original version in French by Hélène Seynaeve)