Strasbourg, 22/02/2006 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) has published four reports on the situation in:
?Estonia: ECRI establishes that the numbers of stateless persons who have obtained Estonian nationality has consistently increased. But Estonia has not established a consistent policy aimed at bringing Estonian-speaking and Russian-speaking communities together. The authorities have not yet examined the full extent of the Holocaust in Estonia and do not give it its rightful place in national debate. The Estonian Roma community is still disproportionately affected by unemployment and discrimination in education.
? Lithuania: the legal framework for combating racial discrimination has been strengthened by the adoption of the law on equal opportunities. But the provisions in force for combating racist expression, including incitement to racial hatred, which has notably targeted the Jewish, Roma and Chechen communities have not been fully applied, ECRI regrets, stressing that cases of anti-Semitism in Lithuania continue to be a cause for concern.
? Romania: the anti-discrimination law has barely been applied at all and the Roma community continues to be the object of discrimination in all areas, including the labour market, access to education, public places and decent housing.
? Spain: the authorities have recently demonstrated willingness to move from an 'aliens' policy to a policy of immigration and integration. However, a lack of awareness of issues of racism and racial discrimination in Spanish society has a negative influence on institutional response. ECRI calls on the Spanish authorities to recognise and counter racist and xenophobic violence, as appropriate.