Strasbourg, 09/07/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Council of Europe commission against racism and intolerance (ECRI) has just published four follow-up reports on racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance in Croatia, Cyprus, Germany and Turkey. If the ECRI notes a positive development in these countries, it nevertheless concludes the persistence of concerning elements. In Croatia, the problems of discrimination and intolerance remain present, notably against the Serbs, Roma and Gypsy communities. In Cyprus, the immigrants seem to be particularly exposed to such problems, notes the ECRI, which also deplores the use by the police of "excessive force" against illegal immigrants. The report on Germany concludes that the legal framework and policies have not proven to be sufficient to tackle the phenomenon seen; the commission also signals incidents with racist motives and the lack of integration measures. Finally, the report on Turkey underlines that the situation of immigrants without a legal status and asylum seekers and notably that their treatment by the police and customs are particularly concerning, and it is also concerned with the restrictions that weigh on the minorities in terms of freedom of expression and the manifestation of their culture.