Denouncing the “spike in antisemitic incidents” in Europe, as well “the rise in anti-Muslim hatred”, the European Commission recalled on Sunday 5 November that the European Union has “tools” to deal with these incidents.
“EU law criminalises public incitement to hatred and violence and sets out a common approach to tackling racist and xenophobic hate speech and hate crimes”, it said, adding that “ensuring its rigorous enforcement is now more imperative than ever”.
An EU action plan against racism was developed in 2020 (see EUROPE 12563/2) and, since 2021, the EU has put in place a comprehensive strategy to combat antisemitism (see EUROPE 12805/26). The Commission says it has increased EU funding to protect places of worship and other sites.
At the same time, the EU institution adds, “we are stepping up the enforcement of relevant legislation to ensure online platforms react swiftly and effectively to antisemitic or anti-Muslim content online, be it terrorist content, hate speech or disinformation”.
See the Commission’s statement: https://aeur.eu/f/9dz (Original version in French by Mathieu Bion)