In its 2024 report, published on Wednesday 28 May, the Council of Europe’s Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) identifies four key challenges: combating the use of racial profiling by law enforcement officials, combating the segregation of Roma children in schools, combating transphobia and strengthening national equality bodies.
ECRI points out that racial profiling leads to a feeling of humiliation and injustice. In particular, it has identified such practices during border controls, in the fight against terrorism and extremism, and during checks carried out by law enforcement agencies in specific areas, without any specific persons being suspected on any concrete grounds.
The segregation of Roma children in schools, which continues in some Council of Europe member states despite being banned, must stop if inequalities are not to be perpetuated from generation to generation, the report stresses.
As for transphobic hate speech, it remains widespread in several European countries, especially during election campaigns, according to ECRI, which also notes recurrent references to protecting children against “gender ideology”.
This transphobia - which can result in violence - affects the ability of transgender people to find employment and housing, and even to receive care from health professionals who are reluctant to see them.
Many of these people suffer from mental health problems, which is also the case for intersex people, whose situation is poorly understood by the public.
So-called sex-normalising surgery and other treatments that are not medically necessary or therapeutic are still not prohibited by law in most European countries, says ECRI, which nevertheless notes that several states have adopted legislation aimed at improving respect for the human rights of transgender and intersex people.
Despite the adoption in May 2024 of new EU legislation establishing binding standards for equality bodies, ECRI continues to observe shortcomings in this field.
These include a lack of resources, shortcomings in the independence of these bodies in the face of political pressure, and a lack of competences and power, particularly in terms of litigation and legal advice.
Link to the ECRI report: https://aeur.eu/f/h3h (Original version in French by Véronique Leblanc)