Equal Rights - Multiple Benefits · 2. Second, to promote equal oppor-tunities for all – access to em-ployment, education, in the workplace or in the healthcare sector. 3. And third,

ISSUE 20December 2006

The European Year of Equal Opportunities for All 2007

Political participation of immigrants in the EU

Another type of Euro-Vision

Encouraging Diversity - Stregthening Cohesion: the leitmotif of integration policy in Berlin

Equal Rights - Multiple Benefits

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Welcome to Equal Voices

The EUMC team is pleased to welcome all readers to the 20th issue ofEqual Voices. Equal Voices consists of in-depth articles and featureswith analysis, new research, surveys, expert input, concepts for suc-

cessful integration and comments. The opinions expressed in this publication donot necessarily reflect those of the EUMC.

To develop the magazine further we would very much welcome your comments,suggestions or proposals for issues to be covered in the magazine. You can con-tact us by e-mail: [email protected].

All major articles of the Equal Voices will be available in English, French andGerman on the EUMC-website: http://eumc.europa.eu. You can get a free sub-sctibtion of the magazine at [email protected] or tel. +43 1 58030-637

The EUMC team

Willkommen bei Equal Voices

Das EUMC-Team begrüßt alle Leserinnen und Leser zu dieser zwan-zigsten Ausgabe des Magazins Equal Voices. Der Inhalt von EqualVoices besteht aus Artikeln und Dokumentationen mit Analysen, neuenUntersuchungen, Erhebungen, Beiträgen von Experten, Konzepten für

eine erfolgreiche Integration und Kommentaren. Die in diesem Magazin veröffent-lichten Meinungen müssen nicht unbedingt mit denen des EUMC übereinstimmen.

Um das Magazin weiter zu entwickeln, nehmen wir gerne Ihre Kommentare, Anre-gungen und Vorschläge zu Fragen entgegen, die in dem Magazin behandelt wer-den sollen. Sie können uns per E-Mail erreichen: [email protected].

Alle wichtigen Artikel aus Equal Voices werden in englischer, französischer unddeutscher Sprache auf der EUMC-Website veröffentlicht: http://eumc.europa.eu. Sie koennen dieses kostenlose Magazin bei [email protected] oder auf +43 1 58030-637 bestellen.

Das EUMC-Team

Bienvenue à notre magazine Equal Voices

L’équipe de l’EUMC est heureuse d’accueillir tous les lecteurs d’Equal Voices dans les pages du vingtième numéro de ce magazine.Equal Voices contient des articles et des éléments de fond ainsi quedes analyses, des nouvelles recherches, des enquêtes, des contribu-

tions de spécialistes et des idées pour une intégration réussie et des commen-taires. Les opinions exprimées dans cette publication ne représentent pas néces-sairement celles de l’EUMC.

Pour nous permettre d’améliorer ce magazine, nous serions heureux de recevoirvos commentaires, vos suggestions ou propositions concernant les sujets quevous souhaiteriez y voir paraître. Vous pouvez nous contacter par courrier élec-tronique, à l’adresse: [email protected].

Les principaux articles d’Equal Voices sont publiés en anglais, français et alle-mand sur le site web de l’Observatoire: http://eumc.europa.eu. Vous pouvez vousabonner gratuitement a ce magazine chez [email protected] ou tel +43 1 58030-637

L’équipe de l’EUMC

Contents

Impressum

Publisher:

European Monitoring Centre onRacism and Xenophobia (EUMC)A-1060 Vienna, Rahlgasse 3Tel.: +43 (1) 580 30 - 0Fax: +43 (1) 580 30 - 693Email: [email protected]: http://eumc.europa.euEditors: Beate Winkler,

Waltraud HellerArt work: Luc Schwartz

3 Editorial

4 The European Year of EqualOpportunities for All - 2007.Celebrating diversity, ensuringequality, by the EU-Commis-sion’s Anti-Discrimination Unit

8 Interview with Vladimír Špidla,European Commissioner forEmployment, Social Affairs andEqual Opportunities

11 Realising the potential of theEuropean Year of Equal Oppor-tunities for All: the challengesof solidarity and independence,by ENAR

14 Political participation of immi-grants in the EU, by Marco Mar-tiniello

19 Another Type of Euro-Vision,by Ed Klute

24 Encouraging Diversity –Strengthening Cohesion: theleitmotif of integration policy inBerlin, by Sabine Kroker-Stille

Coverpage photo: European Commission’s Anti-Discrimination Unit, DG Em-ployment, Social Affairs andEqual Opportunities

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“Equal opportunities for all” are enshrined by lawacross the EU. But is this ‘right’ in theory really a ‘right’in practice? How far have we come in breaking the cir-cle of deprivation, prejudice and discrimination againstdisadvantaged groups in our society?

The EUMC is one of the bodies entrusted with monitor-ing the situation on the ground. Our reports provide am-ple evidence of the continuing disadvantage and dis-crimination faced by migrants and ethnic minorities, forinstance in employment, education and housing. EUMCreports show that migrants and minorities are far fromenjoying the same opportunities as the majority popula-tion in spite of laws against discrimination. In a numberof EU Member States, the unemployment rate of mi-grants is up to twice as high as that of the majority pop-ulation. Educational achievement of migrants is lowerthan that of the majority, and drop out rates are higher.

The EU has put in place a strong legislative frameworkagainst discrimination (EU Anti-Discrimination Direc-tives 2000/43 and 2000/78). Yet, this legislation will be ef-fective only when people bring discrimination to the sur-face by taking cases to court. For this to happen peoplefirst need to be aware of their rights under the Directives.

The European Commission has designated the year2007 as the “European Year of Equal Opportunities forAll”. This thematic Year aims at improving people’sawareness about their rights to enjoy equal treatmentand a life free of discrimination. How can we bringabout Respect, Recognition, Rights, and Responsibility– the four key themes of the Year – for everyone?

During the Year, European institutions, governments,NGOs, and civil society will undertake activities to sup-port equal opportunities for all - in employment, educa-tion, healthcare, and in many other areas in which disad-vantage can undermine people’s right to equality. Aboveall, the Year is about reflecting, discussing and furtherdeveloping equal opportunities in the EU. This issue ofEqual Voices aims to contribute to this.

This magazine gives some background on the EuropeanYear of Equal Opportunities, and features an interview

with Vladimir Špidla, the EU Commissioner for Em-ployment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. Fur-ther articles are devoted to the key themes of the Year,highlighting experiences, research or good practice, forexample, in the fields of political participation of mi-grants or diversity in the media, or the experience of themulticultural city of Berlin.

This edition of Equal Voices will be the last one underthe EUMC’s current mandate. In early 2007 theEUMC will become the EU’s Fundamental RightsAgency, which will continue the work of the EUMCagainst racism and xenophobia. Placing the combatagainst discrimination into a fundamental rights contextconveys an important message to all: Equal treatment isa right and not a privilege. Not making progress in thestruggle for equality means withholding a fundamentalright from disadvantaged groups in the EU.

The key word is respect, respect for people, values andprinciples that underpin our societies. Europe’s keychallenge for the future is to promote an inclusive soci-ety on the basis of respect for diversity, equality andfundamental rights for all of us.

Beate Winkler

Editorial

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The European Year of Equal Opportunities for All - 2007Celebrating diversity, ensuring equality.By the European Commission’s Anti-Discrimination Unit, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities

The views expressed in this articleare those of the author and do notnecessarily reflect the opinion of theEUMC.

Past experiences have shown thatEuropean Years, if launched at theright moment and carried out withgreat commitment in close coopera-tion with stakeholders, can make areal difference. Take the example ofthe European Year against Racismin 1997: That Year led to the inclu-sion of the anti-discrimination arti-cle in the EU Treaty, to the two anti-discrimination Directives, and laterto the Action Programme to combatdiscrimination, as well as to the cre-ation of the European NGO Net-work Against Racism (ENAR). Inthe same year, the EU MonitoringCentre on Racism and Xenophobia(EUMC) was installed.

The European Year of Equal Oppor-tunities for All in 2007 has three keyaims:

1. First, to make the citizens of theEuropean Union aware of theirrights to non-discrimination andequal treatment.

2. Second, to promote equal oppor-tunities for all – access to em-ployment, education, in theworkplace or in the healthcaresector.

3. And third, to exemplify the ben-efits of diversity for the Euro-pean Union.

Making people aware of their

rights

Calling for equal rights and adopt-ing laws to guarantee them is impor-tant. However, it must also be en-sured that equal opportunities areavailable for everyone in practice.The European Union has every rea-son to be proud of its anti-discrimi-nation legislation, which is one ofthe most extensive in the world. Butvery often people are not aware oftheir rights. That is why one of themain aims of the European Year ofEqual Opportunities is to help toturn equal rights in theory into equalrights in practice. Steps have to betaken to tackle the intricate patternsof inequality suffered by certaingroups and communities in Europe.

Based on Article 13 of the EUTreaty, in 2000 the Council of Min-isters adopted two directives againstdiscrimination. The EU has run acampaign ‘For Diversity. Against

The Year hasthree maingoals: tomake peopleaware of theirrights, to pro-mote equalopportunitiesfor all, and toexemplify thebenefits of di-versity.

The European Commission has proposed to designate 2007 as the European Year of Equal Op-portunities for All. The idea is simple and straightforward. The Year of Equal Opportunities for Allwill be a strong, one-off political initiative across the EU for more equal opportunities, whichgoes beyond the usual stakeholders in order to create momentum and reach out to the widerpublic. Six years after the European Union adopted two wide-ranging directives1 to prohibit dis-crimination in the workplace and in other aspects of daily life, the European Year of Equal Op-portunities for All will provide a fresh impetus to promote equal opportunities for all, while con-veying a positive message about diversity.

Discrimination’ (see box) for sev-eral years in order to raise aware-ness about the rights and obligationsunder these laws. The Year shouldalso give an extra boost to MemberStates which lag behind with the im-plementation of the anti-discrimina-tion legislation at national level.

Equal opportunities for all

The motto of the EU is “united indiversity”. In order for this ideal tobecome true, everyone living in theEU must enjoy equal opportunitiesin all spheres of private and publiclife. Rather than confining itself toeliminating discrimination, an equalopportunities policy has to try toprovide all individuals with oppor-tunities to become fully involved ina society. Certain communities,such as the Roma, are so deprivedthat positive action might have to betaken for them so as to eliminatethis inequality.

The European Parliament has re-cently issued an opinion on the fu-ture of anti-discrimination policy. Itis emphasising the need for reliabledata and the development of posi-tive action as key tools to removebarriers in the way of equal opportu-nities. These are two areas wherethe European Commission supportsMember State activities by develop-ing tools, disseminating informationand facilitating the exchange ofgood practice.

The benefits of diversity

Diversity holds many benefits forthe EU. Only by using the potentialof all its people the EU will be ableto develop further socially, econom-ically, and demographically. The

Year of Equal Opportunities for Allaims to ensure that people becomebetter aware of the advantages of in-volving all people in society and inthe labour market, and also to re-mind them of the challenges of age-ing and globalisation. Discrimina-tion is devastating for the people di-rectly affected. It also has a cost tosociety at large and to the economyas a whole. If the EU is to meet thechallenges of globalisation and cre-ate more and better jobs, all of itspeople must have the same chancesand opportunities.

In a recent survey by the EuropeanCommission, 83% of companieswith diversity policies say that thesebring real benefits to their businesssuch as tapping into a wider pool ofpotential employees, improvingstaff motivation and benefiting frommore innovative workforces.

The Year’s four key themes

The activities during the Year willbe based on four key themes:

1. Rights – Raising awareness onthe right to equality and non-dis-crimination.All people in the European Unionare entitled to equal treatment, irre-spective of their sex, race or ethnicorigin, religion or belief, disability,age or sexual orientation – this is thekey message that the Year will striveto put across. Attention will also bepaid to multiple discrimination.2

The idea of the Year is also to showthat being equal does not mean be-ing identical.

2. Representation – ways to in-crease the participation of groupswhich are victims of discrimination.Women are in the minority in ourparliaments, ethnic minority MPsare even scarcer, and disabled peo-ple tend to be sidelined. Against thisbackground, the Year will launch a

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Discriminationis devastatingfor the peopledirectly af-fected. It alsohas a cost tosociety atlarge and tothe economyas a whole.

series of debates on how to make iteasier for under-represented groupsto participate more in society.

3. Recognition – facilitating andcelebrating diversity and equality.During the Year, action will be takento involve the general public in anopen debate on the meaning of di-versity in contemporary Europe andways of valuing differences in soci-ety.

4. Respect – Promoting a more co-hesive society.

The European Year will strive topromote the values underlying equaltreatment and the fight against dis-crimination. Action will be taken toraise awareness on the importance oferadicating clichés, stereotypes andviolence, and promoting good rela-tions among all members of society,particularly young people.

Organising the Year

The Year will be marked by hun-dreds of different activities stagedthroughout the European Union: lo-cally, regionally, nationwide andEU-wide.

Each participating country had toname a national implementing bodyand to present a strategy and a list ofactivities for the Year. The nationalactivities can take a number of dif-ferent forms, from conferences tostudies, from competitions to infor-mation campaigns. The activitiesacross Europe include an “EqualitySummit”, where ministers, socialpartners and non-governmental or-ganisations will gather for the firsttime to consider the themes of equalopportunities and non-discrimina-tion, a new survey to discover Euro-

peans’ attitudes towards discrimina-tion, and a pan-European campaignon European anti-discriminationpolicies and legislation. The Por-tuguese Presidency will then roundup the Year and look forward to the2008 Year on Intercultural Dialogue

at a closing conference in Lisbon.The European activities will nothappen in a vacuum but will supportdirectly what is going on at nationallevel.

Around € 7.5 million has been setaside for European level activitiesfor the Year. A further € 7.5 millionis available for national activities,and this will be increased to €15million by matching co-fundingfrom national sources. At the sametime it is important not to overstatebudgetary issues as the Year is firstand foremost about willingness to

renew and strengthen political andofficial commitments to equal op-portunities for all, and to presentnew and practical examples of howthis can be achieved together.

Two things are crucial to remember:there has to be a balanced treatmentof the grounds of discrimination(i.e. all of them have to be coveredduring the Year), and civil societyhas to be involved. This makes goodsense. Previous thematic years haveshown that the involvement of thepeople who actually deal with theissues on the ground and/or are di-rectly affected is key to success.

The success of the Year of EqualOpportunities will depend on activecontributions by both governmentsand civil society in all parts of theEU. The European Commissiontherefore invites everyone to partic-ipate in the Year at events, competi-tions etc. and through individualeveryday activities. Together we canmake Europe a place where all peo-ple can live “united in diversity”,and with equal opportunities for all.

For more information on the European Year, please seehttp://equality2007.europa.eu

1 The Racial Equality Directive 2000/43/ECimplements the principle of equal treat-ment between people, irrespective ofracial or ethnic origin. The EmploymentEquality Directive 2000/78/EC implementsthe principle of equal treatment, irrespec-tive of religion or belief, disability, age orsexual orientation in employment, trainingand membership and involvement in or-ganisations of workers and employers.

2 Multiple discrimination refers to individualssuffering from unequal or unfair treatmentfor several reasons: for example, when aperson is a woman and member of an eth-nic minority.

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The Year isfirst and fore-most aboutwillingness torenew andstrengthenpolitical andofficial com-mitments toequal oppor-tunities for all.

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In 2000 the EU adopted two Equality Directives, whichtightened European anti-discrimination legislation andwere to be implemented by each Member State by De-cember 2003. This anti-discrimination legislation de-mands that everyone is treated equally regardless oftheir racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disabil-ity, age or sexual orientation.1

To inform citizens about their rights under the new EUanti-discrimination legislation, and to promote the ben-efits of diversity in the workplace, the European Com-mission (DG Employment, Social Affairs and EqualOpportunities) launched a five-year pan-European in-formation campaign “For Diversity. Against Discrimi-nation”.

The campaign pays particular attention to an individualapproach to information and promotional activities.Different awareness-raising events, seminars and on-going media activities are implemented on all levelsacross the EU. One of the campaign’s main assets is itswebsite - http://www.stop-discrimination.info – whichprovides information for 25 Member States in 20 lan-guages.

Through pan-European, national and regional meas-ures, organised in co-operation with national partners,NGOs, ministries, trade unions and employers’ associ-

ations in each Member State, the dialogue between theEU and the different target groups is intensified. “ForDiversity. Against Discrimination.” campaign projectsin 2006 were, for example, a European JournalistAward, an EU Information Truck Tour, an MTV photocontest and a poster competition called “BreakingStereotypes”.

These projects encourage EU-wide involvement in theCommission’s anti-discrimination work and invite peo-ple to engage actively and creatively with the idea of“For Diversity. Against Discrimination.” This engage-ment and involvement encourages two-way communi-cation between the European Union and its citizens. Onthe one hand this raises awareness of discriminationand diversity and on the other it allows the EuropeanCommission to relate better to public opinion.

To find out more about the campaign please see:

http://www.stop-discrimination.info

1 Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 (OJ L 180 of 19.7.2000, p.22) implementing the principle of equal treatment between personsirrespective of racial or ethnic origin, and Directive 2000/78/EC of27 November 2000 (OJ L 303 of 2.12.2000, p. 16) establishing ageneral framework for equal treatment in employment and occupa-tion.

“For Diversity. Against Discrimination.”“RESPECT”: information campaign of the European Commission on

EU anti-discrimination legislation

EUMC: Commissioner Špidla, themotto of the EU is “united in diver-sity”. However, as also the reportsof the EUMC show, we still have along way to go in order to achievethis European ideal. Can you givesome practical examples what theEU does to promote more inclusivesocieties and to fight racial discrim-ination?

Vladimír Špidla: One of the mostimpressive steps was, back in1999, to add a new article in the

EU Treaty which, for the firsttime, gave the EU the powers totake action to combat discrimina-tion on a whole range of newgrounds – racial or ethnic origin,religion or belief, disability, ageand sexual orientation. This wasone of the key achievements ofthe 1997 European Year AgainstRacism, together with the creationof the EUMC. It also allowed usin 2000 to adopt two new piecesof legislation which give a practi-cal dimension to this new respon-

sibility, the so-called RacialEquality and Employment Equal-ity Directives.

Yet legislation itself cannot bringall the required changes. Peoplehave to change their mindset. Thisis why we have invested over €100 million since 2001 into veryconcrete activities that contributeto combating discrimination. Forexample, we have trained hun-dreds of NGOs, judges, employ-ers and trade unions across all EU

Vladimír Špidla, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities

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Interview with Vladimír Špidla, EuropeanCommissioner for Employment, SocialAffairs and Equal Opportunities

Member States. We have reachedout to the younger generationsthrough several initiatives, the lat-est being a photo contest on MTVthat proved extremely successful.We have launched a EuropeanJournalist Award and have an in-formation truck touring Europe.We have also issued numerousstudies on discrimination-relatedissues. The latest concentrated onthe business case for diversity.

Our newest initiative is the “2007European Year for Equal Oppor-tunities for All”, which will give afresh impetus to the fight againstdiscrimination. This strong, one-off, political initiative will allowus to go beyond the usual stake-holders in order to create momen-tum and reach out to the widerpublic.

You are currently preparing theCommission’s first report about thetransposition of the Racial Equalityand the Employment Equality Di-rectives. What is your interim as-sessment about the state of affairs inthe Member States?

Transposing the Racial EqualityDirective was challenging formany Member States. It extendsthe prohibition of discriminationbeyond the traditional areas of thelabour market and vocational train-ing into new areas such as educa-tion, social security, access togoods and services, includinghousing, which are available to thepublic. This wide scope meant thatmany different parts of Govern-ment were involved at nationallevel. In addition, those MemberStates which did not already havean Equality Body had to create one.

Whilst there are problems withthe transposition of the Race Di-rective in many Member States,these vary in number and severity.The Commission is pursuingthese issues with the MemberStates, but despite the variousproblems there is no doubt thatprotection against discriminationon grounds of race and ethnic ori-gin across all the EU MemberStates is now much greater than itwas prior to the adoption of theDirectives in 2000, as also shownby reports of the EUMC.

Some Members of the EuropeanParliament, NGOs and others havecalled for updating the Directivesby including data collection amongthe tasks of the Equality Bodies orby expanding their scope. Is it timeto review the Equality Directives?

As I said, the Equality Directiveswere adopted in 2000. This is notsuch a long time ago, yet it is in-deed a good idea to take stock. Iwant us to make a careful judge-ment, based on a strong analysis.This is why my services havecommissioned an in-depth study,which will examine the provisionswhich go beyond the requirementsof the Directives in the MemberStates. The study will consider therelative merits of legislative andnon-legislative measures. It willalso produce a synthesis ofcost/benefit analyses of differentpolicy options carried out at na-tional level. On the basis of thismaterial, which should be avail-able at the end of 2006, the Com-mission will assess the feasibilityof possible new initiatives to com-plement the current legal frame-work.

Beyond implementing the anti-dis-crimination legislation, what elsedo you find important for MemberStates to do to fight racism andxenophobia and to promote equalopportunities? What is the role oflocal authorities and NGOs?

Governments cannot make it hap-pen all alone. The fight againstracism is a matter for society as awhole. As the tier of governmentclosest to people, local authoritieshave a key contribution to makein this respect. They are also largeemployers and providers of goodsand services, and as such have aduty to combat discrimination. Iam pleased to say that we alsohave close contacts with the Com-mittee of the Regions, which iskeen to get involved in the activi-ties for the Year of Equal Oppor-tunities for All.

NGOs representing and defendingpeople exposed to discriminationplay an essential role in makinganti-discrimination rights effec-tive through their advocacy andawareness-raising activities. In-volving civil society in the designand implementation of various ac-tivities to be undertaken duringthe European Year of Equal Op-portunities for All is therefore oneof the European Commission’skey principles – both at Europeanand national levels.

Now there are other importantagents of change that we workwith and which should also bementioned, such as the employ-ers, the trade-unions, and theEquality Bodies. They all have animportant contribution to make.

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In what respect can informationcampaigns contribute to the fightagainst racism and discriminationon the ground of race and ethnicorigin? Concretely, what would youlike to achieve with the EuropeanYear of Equal Opportunities for All?

First of all, let me recall theachievements of the EuropeanYear Against Racism which tookplace in 1997. The Year sparkedoff a broad range of initiatives atall levels, which have had farreaching results, such as the intro-duction of a new Article into theEC Treaty, which, as I explainedearlier, represented a quantumleap forward in the fight againstdiscrimination. These actionshave served as a signal to ourMember States, our neighboursand those countries that wouldlike to join the EU that the princi-ple of equality and non-discrimi-nation is part of the bedrock offundamental rights on which theEU is based.

I am confident that the new Euro-pean Year of Equal Opportunitiesfor All will be as successful. Whatdo we want to achieve? First, wewant to improve people’s aware-ness about their rights to enjoyequal treatment and a life free ofdiscrimination. Although the EUhas one of the most advanced leg-

islative frameworks in the worldin this respect, there appears to belimited public awareness of therights and obligations that thislegislation confers. Awareness-raising will be a key objective ofthe Year.

In addition, we also want to pro-mote the benefits of diversity forour societies. Too much talent inEurope is poorly utilised and wecannot afford this waste. Recentresearch suggests that 83% ofcompanies with diversity policiesfound these policies had broughtbenefits to their business such asrecruiting and retaining skilledworkers, as well as benefitingfrom more innovative workforces.The European Year will seek toengage the wider public in anopen debate on what diversitymeans in today’s Europe and howto create a positive climate inwhich differences are valued.

Activities during the Year will beorganised around four keythemes: rights, representation,recognition and respect. We willemphasize that equal opportuni-ties policy is not simply limited tothe elimination of discrimination.The disadvantages experiencedby some communities, e.g. theRoma, are so wide-scale and em-bedded in the structure of society

that positive action may be neces-sary to remedy the nature of theirexclusion. The European Yearwill seek to highlight the need topromote and develop policies andinitiatives to increase the partici-pation of groups that are under-represented in society.

How does the European Year link inwith other Commission activities onequal opportunities? And what arethe next steps and activities in yourefforts to enhance equal opportuni-ties for ethnic minorities in Europe?

The European Year is about mo-bilising energies and moving up agear. The dynamics created bytwelve months of activities to pro-mote equal opportunities andcombat discrimination will be feltfor a long time to come. Newtools, new approaches and a newimpetus will help Europe to con-tinue to move forward with its ef-forts in the field of equality andnon-discrimination. The EU’sPROGRESS programme – tofund activities in employment andsocial affairs from 2007-2013 – isexpected to take up some of thebest ideas generated during theEuropean Year, ensuring theymake a real impact in the long-term as well.

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Despite the concerns regarding the‘proliferation’ of European Years, asone of the outcomes of the 1997 Eu-ropean Year against Racism, ENARis very aware of the potential impactof such initiatives. Consequently,ENAR decided to contribute proac-tively to the preparation of the Yearof Equal Opportunities for All byorganising a series of nationalroundtables during the second halfof 2006. The roundtables aimed to:

1. Inform anti-racist and other anti-discrimination NGOs about the2007 Year;

2. Articulate expectations andchallenges for the Year in na-tional contexts;

3. Provide a space for networkingand exchanging of ideas on pos-sible projects.

By the end of 2006, ENAR willhave organised a total of around 20national roundtables across Europe,

thanks to the dedication and com-mitment of its members, who haveembraced this project with enthusi-

asm regardless of the absence of fi-nancial assistance. This commit-

ment of ENAR members clearlydemonstrates the importance theyattribute to awareness-raising proj-ects and to the European dimensionin the fight against discrimination.

While ENAR received a great dealof support and interest from the Eu-ropean Commission and its peernetworks focusing on gender, dis-ability, age and sexual orientation, ithas faced a number of recurringchallenges in the implementation ofits roundtables preparing for theYear. This article highlights two ofthese challenges: working in soli-darity across the different groundsof discrimination, and achieving in-dependence in the context of the de-centralised approach to implemen-tation.

The challenge of working in

solidarity

In their day-to-day work, ENARmembers are acutely aware that dis-crimination is a multifaceted experi-ence, and that identity cannot be de-fined on a single basis. ENAR

Realising the potential of the EuropeanYear of Equal Opportunities for All: the challenges of solidarity and independence.By ENAR

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The decision to designate 2007 as the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All was wel-comed by the members of the European Network Against Racism (ENAR)1 as an opportunity toremind European people and their governments of their rights and duties in the field of anti-dis-crimination. However, during its preparations for the Year, ENAR has become increasinglyaware that anyone interested in realising the full potential of the Year faces two major chal-lenges: first, fostering solidarity across the grounds of discrimination, and second, achievingcredibility and independence in the context of the Year’s decentralised implementation.

ENAR mem-bers attributehigh impor-tance toawareness-raising and tothe Europeandimension inthe fightagainst dis-crimination.

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therefore welcomes that the activi-ties undertaken during the Year ofEqual Opportunities will focus onthe different forms of discriminationsome individuals suffer, owing to

their race or ethnic origin, religionor beliefs, age, gender, sexual orien-tation or disability. The intention isthat the Year’s projects should ad-dress all forms of discrimination aswell as multiple discrimination, ifpossible. The EU Commission rec-ommends to organise projects thatwould tackle different discrimina-tion grounds or that would be articu-lated around the four key objectivesof Rights, Representation, Recogni-tion and Respect. This should en-courage organisations working ondifferent grounds to collaborate,build partnerships and reinforcetheir political weight by joiningforces. While there is much to bewelcomed in this approach, manyanti-racism organisations are con-cerned that this approach does notrecognise the concrete realities fac-ing NGOs working in the field atnational and local levels. This wasalso pointed out during ENAR’sroundtables.

While there is increasing collabora-tion at the European level between

the networks working on differentforms of discrimination, this ap-proach is not reflected nationally inmost EU Member States. In prac-tice, national level civil society or-

ganisations, which are frequentlyunder-funded and work under huge

pressure, tend to concentrate theiractivities on a particular ground ofdiscrimination. When they collabo-rate across discrimination groundsthey tend to do so through bilateral

cooperation with one other groundof discrimination. Initiatives acrossmultiple grounds are infrequent.

ENAR’s national roundtables, in-tended to reach out beyond anti-racism to the other grounds of dis-crimination, proved how difficult itis to bring people and organisationsworking on different grounds intothe same room to discuss the forth-coming European Year. While manyquestions remain concerning thesedynamics, it is far from clear if theopportunity presented by the Euro-pean Year will be able to overcomethis situation. Whatever the motiva-tion, any attempt to overcome orcircumnavigate the existing practiceand ways of working will present amajor challenge for the implementa-tion of the Year.

The key challenge in the implemen-tation of the Year of Equal Opportu-nities will be to promote equalitymainstreaming. Solidarity must befostered, while at the same time re-sponding to the specificities of par-ticular forms of discrimination andthe capacity of civil society to en-gage across the grounds of discrimi-nation in a systematic and holisticway. Indeed, by adopting too broadan approach, or by focusing only onsoft positive messages (‘diversity isnice’), there is a risk that the Yearwill not be able to respond to theharsh realities and specifics of racialor multiple discrimination in the Eu-ropean Union.

Balancing independence and

decentralisation

Drawing on the lessons of the 2003European Year of People with Dis-abilities, according to the EU Com-mission the 2007 Year will have a

It is a challenge forcivil societyorganisationsto work on differentgrounds ofdiscrimination“in solidarity”.

ENAR is a network of some 600 EuropeanNGOs working to combat racism in all EUMember States. Its establishment was a majoroutcome of the 1997 European Year againstRacism. ENAR is determined to fight racism,xenophobia, anti-Semitism and Islamopho-bia, to promote equality of treatment betweenEU citizens and third country nationals, andto link local/regional/national initiatives withEuropean initiatives.More information on: http://www.enar-u.org

13


strong national focus, and fundingfor it will be allocated through Na-tional Implementation Bodies.Given the realities of an enlargedEuropean Union and the wide rangeof organisations and individualswith an interest in this Year’s topic,pragmatically, implementation offunding directly by the EuropeanCommission would be difficult.However, during the ENAR round-tables many raised concerns that inthe current political climate, decen-tralised implementation will giveundue influence to national govern-ments, and that this could even un-dermine the vision for the Year incertain countries.

Indeed, while the administrations ofsome countries have a long traditionof cooperating with civil society or-ganisations, other countries facereal difficulties in implementing thisdialogue. Particular issues havebeen raised regarding the capacityof certain governments to engageeffectively with a wide range ofcivil society voices, expressing abroad range of concerns that attimes have conflicting priorities. Inother contexts obstacles are politi-cal, and there is a risk that politicaland ideological boundaries mightundermine the implementation ofthe Year of Equal Opportunities, ei-ther passively by failing to disperseinformation, or more actively by ex-cluding particular projects, organi-sations or grounds from the imple-mentation of the Year. Concernshave also been expressed that someEuropean governments might mis-use civil society organisations for

political purposes, in some caseseven foster competition between

discrimination grounds, and hencedirectly undermine the combined in-fluence and impact. In this context itmust also be ensured that govern-ments are not just concentrating onsome grounds of discrimination inthe implementation of the EuropeanYear, while excluding others.

Consequently, a centralised man-agement of the European Year bythe European Commission wouldhave reassured civil society organi-sations with regards to beinggranted fair and equal access to theYear, and protecting the Year from

falling subject to political nuances.However, ENAR members alsorecognise the value of the ap-proaches that can respond to the re-ality of national contexts, as well asthe pragmatic constraints of imple-menting the Year across 27 coun-tries.

Preparation is the key to suc-

cess

By outlining two of the key issuesthat have emerged during ENAR’spreparation for the Year, the chal-lenges of working in solidarityacross discrimination grounds, andthe need to ensure independence inthe context of the decentralised im-plementation of the Year, we hope tocontribute constructively to realis-ing the maximum possible impact ofthis opportunity.

ENAR is convinced that the 2007Year of Equal Opportunities canmake a real difference to the lives ofthose who experience discrimina-tion, and is actively encouraging theEuropean Commission and the Na-tional Implementation Bodies torecognise and account for the reali-ties and concerns facing Europeancivil society organisations in theirefforts to support the victims of dis-crimination.

1 ENAR has approximately 600 memberand associated organisations throughoutEurope. A list of members per country canbe found at:http://www.enar-eu.org/en/info/2_1.shtml

There is a risk that political andideologicalboundariesmight under-mine the im-plementationof the Year ofEqual Oppor-tunities.


In most European countries, politicalmobilisation, participation and repre-sentation of immigrants and their de-scendants were for a long time notconsidered to be important issues ei-ther in politics or in academia. As mi-grants used to have only an economicrole in the host society - to work andto produce - they were not regardedas potential citizens. They had beeninvited as “guest workers” – and asguests it was neither expected nor de-sired for them to become politicallyactive. Migrant workers were consid-ered to be “apolitical” and charac-terised by political apathy.

The point of departure was correct:in many countries that receivedguest workers, migrants had virtu-ally no political rights. They couldneither vote nor be elected, and didnot enjoy any form of direct or indi-rect representation within politicalbodies. Some point to the exclusionof immigrants from the electoralprocess as a reason for their alleged

political passivity. Others say thatmany migrants came from countriesthat lack democratic cultures andhad therefore not been “educated”to participate in politics. Initially

many migrants also thought thatthey had come to stay only for ashort period of time and thereforecontinued to be oriented more to-wards their homeland, and towardsachieving short-term economicgoals before returning home.

However, reality shows that manyof those who came to stay for someyears only, have now spent their en-tire lives in their host country, wherea second and even third generationhave grown up.

How politically active are mi-

grants?

So what is the political reality of to-day? How active or inactive are mi-grants in European politics? Re-search shows that migrants are notmore or less politically passive oractive than other citizens. They havealways been involved in politics, ei-ther outside or at the margin of thepolitical system of both their coun-try of origin and their country ofresidence. Over time, more andmore migrants and their descen-dants have become more activelyinvolved in the mainstream politicalinstitutions in their countries of resi-dence. This process has been facili-tated by an extension of the votingrights to foreigners in several coun-tries – at least at the local or re-gional level – and by liberalising na-tionality laws in others.

Evidenceshows thatmigrants arenot more orless politicallypassive or ac-tive than othercitizens.

Political participation of immigrants in the EUBy Marco Martiniello

In most European countries, political mobilisation, participation and representation of immi-grants were considered unimportant for a long time. But as immigrants stayed on in their newcountries of residence, they asked for more rights to participate in the society also politically.Today, evidence shows that immigrants are in principle not more or less politically passive oractive than other citizens, but that their political participation depends on the structure of politi-cal opportunities that are offered to them, such as voting rights, the extent of freedom of asso-ciation, etc. Because of the lack of formal opportunities, ethnic minority representation in politi-cal or administrative bodies remains low. Thus, if we want to create cohesive societies in Eu-rope, we must fully include minorities in education, employment, and politics. Granting votingrights for third country nationals at least at the local level is a first step towards inclusion.

14


Participation depends on op-

portunities

Research suggests that the forms ofimmigrants’ political participationlargely depend on the structure ofpolitical opportunities that are of-fered to them. For example, statescan open or close avenues of politi-cal participation for migrants, andprovide them with more or less op-portunities to participate in the man-agement of collective affairs by:

• granting or denying votingrights to foreigners;

• facilitating or impeding accessto citizenship and nationality;

• granting or constraining free-dom of association;

• ensuring or blocking the repre-sentation of migrants’ interests;and

• establishing or not establishingarenas and institutions for con-sultative politics.

Whether immigrants and their de-scendants will seize these opportu-nities in this changing and institu-tionally defined framework dependson several variables such as:

• their political ideas and values;• their previous involvement in

politics (including in their coun-try of origin);

• the vision they have of theirpresence in the country of resi-dence as permanent or tempo-rary;

• their feeling of belonging to thehost and/or the origin society;

• their knowledge of the politicalsystem and institutions; and

• the density of immigrant associ-ational networks.

In addition, the usual determinantsof political behaviour apply, such as

level of education, linguistic skills,socio-economic status, gender, age,or age cohort.

Political action can take place at dif-ferent levels: apart from at nationalor international level, opportunitiesexist for participation and mobilisa-tion at all local and regional levels(district, town, municipality, county,land, region, province, canton de-

partment, etc.).

Immigrant involvement in

state politics

As far as state politics is concerned,three main forms of ethnic partici-pation and mobilisation can be con-sidered: electoral politics, parlia-mentary politics, and consultativepolitics. In this context it is impor-

15


“My motto is that if you want to achieve something, you haveto do it yourself. You have to remember that all resources arefinite, including those of society. This is why distribution is-sues are issues of power. And you will have the power toshape things only if you take part yourself. Anything elsemeans handing over your fate to the raging torrent.”

Omid Nouripour is from Iran and now lives in Germany, where he is amember of parliament for BÜNDNIS 90/DIE GRÜNEN. In September2006 he took over the mandate of the former Foreign Minister, JoschkaFischer, after being a member of the federal executive committee of theGreen Party for four years. His political commitment is rooted in the needto modernise German citizenship law, under which it took him nine yearsto obtain a German passport.

Photo: copyright Nouripour

Omid Nouripour

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Electoral Rights for third country nationals in the EU1

1 From: Harald Waldrauch: “Electoral rights for foreign nationals: a comparative overview”, 2005

Right to vote Eligibility Right to vote Eligibility Right to vote EligibilityAustria — — — — — —Belgium A — — — — —Cyprus — — — —Czech Republic [RE] [RE] — — — —Denmark A/AS A/AS (A/AS) (A/AS) — —Estonia A — — — — —Finland A/AS A/AS — —France — — — — — —Germany — — — — — —Greece — — — —Hungary A — (A) — — —Ireland A A — —Italy — — — — — —Latvia — — — —Lithuania A A — —Luxembourg A — — —Malta [RE/AS] [RE/AS] [(RE/AS)] [(RE/AS)] — —Netherlands A A — — — —Poland — — — — — —Portugal RE/RECS RE/RECS RECS — RECS —Slovakia A A (A) (A) — —Slovenia A (A) — —Spain RE RE — — — —Sweden A/AS A/AS (A/AS) (A/AS) — —United Kingdom CL CL CL CL CL CL

NOTE: A

AS

CLRE

RECS—

Codes in parentheses – “( )” – in column “Regional / provincial elections” indicate that even though there are elections to authorities situated between the municipal and the national level, these elections are considered to be part of local self-government. Codes in brackets – “[ ]” – indicate that legal rules are of nopractical relevance at the moment.

Electoral rights for all foreign nationals (under certain circumstances such as permanent residence. Nationals of EU countries have electoral rights in local and regional elections in all EU countries.)Electoral rights only for citizens of countries in the same alliance of states (other than the EU, e.g. Nordic states, Council of Europe)Electoral rights for citizens of certain countries on the basis of colonial links in the pastElectoral rights under condition of reciprocity

No electoral rights. No regional / provincial elections

Electoral rights under condition of reciprocity and cultural similarities

Local level Regional / provincial level National level

17


tant to underline that in nearly allEuropean States and also in non-Eu-ropean democracies, full electoralrights are reserved only for the na-tionals of the countries in question1,even though some of them have en-franchised third country nationals atthe local level (see table). There-fore, ethnic participation in elec-tions is essentially determined byrules on access to citizenship. An in-teresting development regardingimmigrant participation in electoralpolitics might currently be emergingin France. Following civil societycampaigns to vote as a response tothe violent riots in 2005, a consider-able number of French citizens fromvisible minorities, who had notmade use of their voting right inprevious elections, have now offi-cially registered as voters.

In this context, the issue of a possi-ble “ethnic vote” may be of interest.In fact, there is no convincing evi-

dence or theory that would explain alink between ethnic or religious be-longing and political or electoral be-haviour.

The representation of ethnic minori-ties in the central government, par-liament and local government isalso an increasingly important issue.However, for the time being, ethnicminority representation in thesebodies remains low, although in-creases can be noted in some coun-tries in particular at the local level.

However, electoral politics and par-liamentary assemblies are not theonly arenas for ethnic political par-ticipation. Several states have cre-ated consultative institutions at theperiphery of the state to deal withethnic categories and immigrationproblems. Usually, these bodieshave only little power, for example,as advisory boards. Among the ear-liest examples of this were the Bel-

gian “Conseils Conlsultatifs Com-munaux pour les Immigrés” (Con-sultative Local Councils for Immi-grants) that were established in thelate 1960s. Political scientists havegenerally criticised the idea of es-tablishing special consultative bod-ies for immigrants, as they margin-alise immigrants further while giv-ing them the illusion of direct politi-cal participation. The Council ofEurope issued a far-reaching recom-mendation on the issue in 20012 anddeveloped a manual of principlesand guidelines for the hundreds ofconsultative bodies across Europe.3

Involvement in non-state

politics

As far as non-state politics is con-cerned, four main avenues of ethnicand immigrant political participa-tion and mobilisation can be singledout: involvement in political parties,union politics, other pressure

“Participation in politics is important - for politics,for politicians and most of all for people. We be-lieve that listening and responding to the viewsof all communities, including migrants, is a cru-cial part of the policy making process. Thatmeans that migrants need a voice, and that inturn rests on things like participating in elections,and campaigning - especially at local level - forchange and improvement. So we strongly favourmigrants, and all other communities, playing afull part in politics.”

Born in Guyana, Baroness Amos worked in Local Govern-ment in the UK until she became Chief Executive of theEqual Opportunities Commission, a post she held from1989 -1994. She was made Parliamentary Under-Secretaryof State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 2001.In May 2003 she joined the Cabinet as International De-velopment Secretary before becoming Leader of the Houseof Lords and President of the Council in October 2003.

Baroness Amos

Photo: Copyright UK Cabinet Office

18


groups, and direct mobilisation ofethnic communities.

In Europe, the issue of ethnic in-volvement in political partiesemerged first in Britain with the de-bate about the Black section in theLabour Party in the 1980s. Today,membership in political parties forthird country nationals is still notequally accepted across Europe.The presence of immigrants inunions is an older and better knownphenomenon. One could even saythat union politics is the cradle ofimmigrants’ political participationin Europe. Unions have respondedto the ethnic issue in different ways.Some have organised specific insti-tutions for “migrant workers”within the union, while others haverefused to do so in the name of theunity of the working class.

Immigrants can get involved moreeasily in pressure groups and move-ments, such as the sans-papiersmovements or anti- racism organi-sations, as well as environmentalistmovements, animal rights groups,customers’ associations, neighbour-hood committees, and similar initia-tives. In order to promote and de-fend political interest and to exertsome pressure on the political sys-tem, immigrant groups also organ-ise as collectives along ethnic, racialor religious lines. In recent years,the mobilisation of Muslims immi-grants around religious concernshas received wide attention.

If we want to create more cohesive,open and participatory democracies

in Europe, granting voting rights forthird country nationals at least at thelocal and regional level is an impor-tant step. Only those who can par-ticipate can really develop a feeling

of belonging to a society and shareits present and future.

Marco Martiniello is Research Di-rector at the Belgian National Fundfor Scientific Research (FNRS). Heteaches Sociology and Politics atthe University of Liège. He is theDirector of the Center for Ethnicand Migration Studies (CEDEM) inthe same university.

“Integration of immigrants means that they participate in all ar-eas of society – culturally, professionally, in academia, in indus-try and in particular politically. Political participation means twothings. Firstly, by taking an interest in what is going on politicallyand by voting in elections, and so helping to shape the future.Secondly, by standing for political office and hence making a di-rect contribution to the formulation of policy. It ought to be themost natural thing in the world for immigrants to be politically ac-tive, but the political parties need to do a great deal to encour-age this, as there is still a long way to go.”

Omar Al-Rawi came to Austria from Iraq to study when he was seventeen.He works as an engineer and has “always” been politically active, in par-ticular since 1993 in the works council and as a trade unionist, but alsobefore that during his alternative civil service and as a student representa-tive. After the FPÖ’s xenophobic election campaign in 1999 his commit-ment increased, and since 2002 he has been a member of the Vienna re-gional parliament and Vienna city council.

Photo: copyright SPOeAlRawi

Omar Al-Rawi

1 The United Kingdom is exceptional in this regards since it extends active voting rights as wellas eligibility in national elections to all Commonwealth and Irish citizens.

2 Recommendation 1500 (2001): Participation of immigrants and foreign residents in politicallife in the Council of Europe member states (Council of Europe, Parliamentary Assembly)

3 “Local consultative bodies for foreign residents – a Handbook”, Council of Europe (Sonia Gsirand Marco Martiniello), 2004

19



In recent years ‘breaking news’, un-filtered from distant conflict zones,have been brought directly to televi-sion and computer screens. Thisspeed and decontextualisation ofnews has implications for nationaldebates concerning cultural diver-sity, integration, religion and asy-lum, and affects the life of particularminority communities.

Although most ethnic minority au-diences rely on national mainstreamtelevision news as their main sourceof news, when critical stories break,they rely heavily on the internet, lo-cal community media and transna-tional satellite television stations,such as Al Jazeera and Al Arabia.Although these channels are notwatched by large numbers of theyounger generations, they have adisproportionate influence on theseaudiences. The insertion of AlJazeera and other Arabic languagefootage in mainstream news bul-letins, however, tends to reinforcethe notion among the indigenous au-diences that such channels adopt anArab-Muslim perspective. Some be-lieve that they provide a mouthpiecefor terrorist voices and views, incontrast with Arabic speaking Mus-

lim viewers who regard Al Jazeeraas a news channel founded on prin-ciples of balance and impartiality.Indigenous audiences feel comfort-able with national media, as theysee their own opinions and preju-dices reinforced, because their newsbulletins interpret events based on

their established and trusted cul-tural, and often religious, perspec-tives and values. For Muslim newsconsumers who use multiple andmultilingual sources, mainstreamWestern news are seen to be marredby ethnocentrism, to operate from

within a Western ideological realmand to reproduce the discursivelogic of the government, becausejournalists’ access to information isseen to be dictated to a large extentby governments.1

How to deal with this dilemma andfulfil the social responsibility of themedia in view of social cohesionand to produce news for all? Themedia audiences are changing andethnic minority communities are agrowing part of them. How cannews and information programmesreach all parts of the public andwhat is the impact of news and in-formation on them?

Diversity deficit

To create an atmosphere of mutualunderstanding and interculturalcommunication, national mediahave an increasingly important roleas platforms for inclusive intercul-tural dialogue and as news and in-formation providers trusted by allsections of the multicultural society.To fulfil this role, diversity isneeded both among staff as well asin content. However, minoritygroups are confronted with issues ofaccess, power and portrayal in themedia sector: recent studies showthat ethnic minorities are relativelyinvisible in the media. In particular,they are seriously under-represented

Another Type of Euro-VisionBy Ed Klute

In Europe, media audiences are changing and ethnic minority communities are a growing part ofthem. In a multicultural society, national media have therefore an increasingly important role asplatforms for inclusive intercultural dialogue. To fulfil this role, diversity is needed both amongstaff as well as in content. However, recent studies show that ethnic minorities are still under-represented in the media. This calls for new recruitment policies to be implemented. Diversityissues should also figure in training programmes. In addition, teaching media literacy is needed.NGOs are particularly active to put media and diversity on the political and media agenda.

In a multicul-tural society,national mediahave an in-creasingly im-portant role asplatforms forinclusive inter-cultural dia-logue.

20


in decision-making in the sector.This calls for new recruitment poli-cies to be implemented. Diversityissues should also figure in trainingprogrammes and provide bench-marks for the judgement of news-room performance.

Media need to report professionallyon equality issues and the concernsof minority communities in order toraise awareness of intolerance in so-ciety. There is a need to have moredialogue between media profession-als and civil society actors on thesematters and for more efficientmechanisms of media monitoringon diversity issues.

Teaching media literacy

In pursuit of these objectives medialiteracy at all levels of schooling isneeded to help media users under-stand how and why media content isproduced. Awareness of techniques,languages and conventions used bymedia is crucial to understandingtheir message. This encourages peo-ple to develop their own ways ofmaking their voice heard. Confidentand aware media users are better ableto identify, challenge and engagewith media to combat misleading, of-fensive or harmful material and to

participate effectively in the multicul-tural information society. Educatingthe public about media and digitalcommunication technologies is aguarantee of freedom and independ-

ence in relation to the media. It is akey element of an inclusive informa-tion society that respects the dignityof others, particularly women, mi-norities and vulnerable people, and ofthe promotion of human rights. Me-dia literacy should also be seen in a

larger context of citizens’ active andproductive participation in old andnew media platforms. Models for therole of participatory community me-dia should be further evaluated andbetter integrated in future policies onpropagation of media literacy.

Efforts of NGOs

A lot of work undertaken by NGOsis aimed at putting media and diver-sity on the political and mediaagenda.

• NGOs are involved in mediamonitoring and dialogue withjournalists on how to make me-dia output more diverse and bet-ter reflect the societies.

• Contact databases with minorityspokespersons have been devel-oped and minority organisationsreceived training to take a moreproactive part in the public me-dia debates.

• Ethnic media professionals havebeen encouraged to play a moreactive role in the media industry,while efforts are made to makethe industry more aware of itsresponsibilities in multiculturalsociety, as well as of the com-mercial potential of growing mi-nority audiences.

Although eth-nic minoritycommunitiesare a growingpart of mediaaudiences,they are rela-tively under-represented inthe media.

European media NGOs:

IFJ International Federation of Journalists - http://www.ifj.org

EFJ European Federation of Journalists - http://www.efj.org

OSI-EUMAP Open Society Institute - EU Monitoring and Advocacy Program) -

http://www.eumap.org

AMARC World Association of Community Radios - http://www.amarc.org

OLMCM Online/More Colour in the Media network - http:// www.olmcm.org

SIGNIS World Catholic Association for Communication - http://www.signis.org

Article 19 Global Campaign for Free Expression - http://www.article19.org

21


• Using the possibilities offered bynew technology, it has becomeeasier to create community me-dia, such as websites, digital ra-dio or television stations. In sev-eral countries, NGOs are in-volved in setting up multimediaprojects, like press agencies withyoung people, to make themaware of how media are beingmade and in which way they canmake their voice heard.

• At the European level the majorEuropean media NGOs recentlyjoined forces to create a Euro-pean NGO lobby platform onmedia and diversity.

European Week of Media and

Diversity

In order to highlight the nationaland transnational efforts and to con-tinue the established broad coali-tion, the European network On-line/More Colour in the Media initi-ated the European Week of Mediaand Diversity, which will take placefrom 19 to 25 March 2007 in at least15 EU countries with the slogan“Equal opportunities for all!”

To achieve diversity in the media isnot an end in itself, but a means tomore quality journalism, to eco-nomic success for the media and, inthe long-term, to more cohesive so-cieties. It may be a long and difficultroad, but it is one that is worth andnecessary taking.

Ed Klute is since 1989 director ofMira Media, an independent DutchNGO promoting the representationof minorities in the Dutch mediasince 1986. He has initiated and co-ordinated national and interna-tional media projects focusing onintercultural programming, mediaempowerment of ethnic minority

and religious organisations, em-ployment and training of ethnic me-dia professionals and interculturalmedia education. Ed Klute is alsoco-founder and chairperson of theEuropean network Online/More

Colour in the Media (OLMCM). seehttp://www.miramedia.nl andhttp://www.olmcm.org

1 For example in the case of the war in Iraq,where only “governamental” reporterswere allowed to cover the field operations.

The European Week of

Media and Diversity

Edition 2007: equal opportunities for all!

19 TO 25 MARCH 2007

Why a Week for Media and

Diversity?

The annual European Week of Me-dia and Diversity has been initi-ated by the network Online/MoreColour in the Media since 2003 tohighlight the necessity of diversityin the media and to start a dia-logue between media profession-als, NGOs and minority audi-ences. During the last three years,the Week has become a platform todraw attention to the resolutionsand recommendations of nationalbodies and to the presentation ofmonitoring efforts made by NGOs.

Who is participating in the

Week?

During the Week of Media and Di-versity NGOs, unions of journal-ists, schools of journalism, re-search institutes, media educationand vocational training organisa-tions, diversity managers from

public broadcasters, programmemakers, media-watch organisa-tions, workers’ unions and ethniccommunity media across Europeorganise events in a number of EUMember States.

Do you want to join us in 2007?

The 4th edition of the EuropeanWeek of Media and Diversity willtake place from 19 to 25 March2007 in at least 15 EU-countrieswith the slogan “Equal opportuni-ties for all!”. If your organisationwants to join the Week by staging anational or local event, we canprovide you with the logo andother communication tools, adver-tise your initiative through ournetwork websites, and put you intouch with peers working in thesame area. You can join the Weekwith your own idea or use one ofthe formats we propose in the Eu-ropean Week Handbook (availableon request).

To receive more information or tojoin the European Week, pleasecontact:Martina ValdetaraOnline/More Colour in the [email protected]://www.olmcm.org

22


Interview with Edouard Pellet, Integration and

Diversity Representative of France Televisions

Edouard Pellet, when and why did France Télévisions createthe post of Integration and Diversity Representative? Whatdoes your job involve?

The former Chief Executive of France Télévisions, MarcTessier, asked me to head up a think tank to investigatewhether the Group was properly fulfilling its commitmentto integration, through expression on the part of the diversecomponents of the French population, on the airwaves, inprogrammes and in the structures of the public-servicechannels. This request followed a meeting he had, in late2002, with the Chairman of the BBC who told him aboutthe ‘ethnicisation’ of its airwaves. He was also influencedby the 2002 presidential elections in France which in thesecond round saw a head-to-head challenge between the ex-treme right and the moderate right – the left having alreadybeen defeated. I published my final conclusions in July2003, which confirmed that we were indeed lagging behindon this issue. This led to the setting-up, in January 2004, ofthe Positive Action Plan for Integration (PAPI), which Imanage as part of the duties arising from a specifically cre-ated post directly accountable to the Chief Executive. Thisplan focuses on three main areas (Programmes and editorialcontent, Human resources, and Ethics) and aims to raise theprofile and enhance the representation and promotion ofethnic and cultural diversity within the Group. In Septem-ber 2005, the new Chief Executive, Patrick de Carolis,asked for the Positive Action Plan to be expanded and foran early dialogue concerning the action already taken,while still emphasising steady, day-to-day work rather thanmedia scoops.

Why are there not more journalists of minority ethnic origin?What can be done to remedy this situation? Do you believethat the media have a specific responsibility in this area?

French public TV broadcasting reflects the reticence, reser-vations and resistance to diversity of French society as awhole. We are adopting a pragmatic approach to combatthis, particularly through the specific use of ‘common law’.As an example, we have set up around 30 bursaries andawarded apprenticeship contracts to journalism studentsfrom Priority Education Zones who are attending our part-ner journalism colleges, such as Sciences-Po or the IPJ.Furthermore, as well as the most well-known case of Au-drey Pulvar, the first black presenter on a national Frenchprime time TV news bulletin, around 30 ‘minority’ profes-sionals have been given a higher profile on the differentFrance 2, France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô chan-nels.

To what extent might increased diversity affect public opinionand society in general? Can diversity in the media help tocombat discrimination and prejudice against visible minori-ties?

Viewers’ emails to France Télévisions’ ombudsman indi-cate that people feel there is too great a differential betweenthe diversity of French society and the presence and repre-sentation of minority and ethnic groups in the programmes.It is the paramount duty of public-service broadcasting toremedy that situation. The ultimate aim of the policy wehave implemented is, in the long term, to re-establish the‘right to indifference’, without having recourse to quotas orpositive discrimination.

In Europe, public confidence in the notion of diversity seemsto have been undermined by events such as the recent socialunrest in French urban areas, the Danish caricatures or theLondon July bomb attacks. What can or should the media bedoing to promote mutual respect and equal opportunities forall?

As regards the unrest in France, this was considered to havebeen treated in a balanced, unbiased way by public broad-casters since it was primarily social and not ethnic or racialin nature. It prompted our editorial teams to go into the sec-ondary schools in Priority Education Zones and so-called‘sensitive’ campuses to talk to young people of various ori-gins in order to get a better idea of what the true situation inFrance is really like. In addition to that, another major con-tribution is the European media conference, organised byFrance Télévisions and WDR and ARD from Germany, on‘Migration and Integration – Europe’s big challenge. Whichrole do the media play?’, which was held in Essen in No-vember 2006, with a follow-up conference in Paris on 23November 2007. This should help us gain a focused, jointresponse to this shared problem.

Edouard Pellet

23


Interview with Gualtiero Zambonini,

Commissioner for Diversity of German Television

Channel WDR

Public broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) carried outa study on minorities and migrants and the media. What were themain findings?

In 2002 and 2004, the WDR commissioned two representativestudies on the way Greeks, Italians, Turks and immigrants fromthe former Yugoslavia living in North Rhine-Westphalia use themedia. The main findings were that immigrants, particularlyTurks, mostly use television as an information and entertain-ment medium. Their use of the media is complementary, inother words, they watch both German-language channels aswell as programmes in their mother tongue on satellite chan-nels. Fewer than 5% use only German language or only mother-tongue media. There is also a clear preference for entertainmentprogrammes broadcast by commercial channels. Nonetheless,the information programmes of public broadcasters are well re-garded. In 2004, we wanted to find out the contexts in which im-migrants appeared in our information programmes. We com-missioned a programme analysis, which found that people witha foreign background are mostly portrayed as a natural part ofour day-to-day lives. While it is our duty to report on and ex-plain the background to the problems and conflicts affecting im-migrant society, here at the WDR, we are especially careful thatimmigrants should be treated as equals and protagonists and notjust as the ‘subject-matter’ of a report.

For decades now, media experts have talked about the need forgreater diversity in the media. Why has Europe been so slow inputting these words into action? And what can the media do toensure diversity in its structures and programmes?

Here at the WDR, we have made considerable progress in thisregard. Integration has been mainstreamed throughout the or-ganisation. We actively seek out and promote talented youngpeople of immigrant origin. Our efforts have paid off: AsliSevindim is the first presenter of Turkish origin of the prime-time news programme ‘Aktuelle Stunde’, while Birand Bingül,also from the WDR, was the first German-Turk to join the teamof commentators on the ARD programme ‘Tagesthemen’.Through extensive research, content analysis and studies onmedia use, we are attempting to gain an insight into the mediahabits of immigrants and to put our findings to good use. Al-though our work is still in the early stages, the WDR is at theforefront in this field.

The reason is that politicians, the media and society realised toolate that immigration poses a major challenge to social devel-opment and peaceful co existence in Europe. We take this de-velopment very seriously and believe that the media – above all

the public broadcasting service – has a key role to play. Withthat in mind, the WDR, together with ZDF and France Télévi-sions under the umbrella of the EBU (European BroadcastingUnion), organised a European conference on the role of the me-dia in Europe’s immigrant society, which was held in Essen on23 and 24 November 2006. A follow-up conference is sched-uled for November 2007 at UNESCO in Paris.

Representatives of minority groups call for greater representationin prime-time programmes rather than the current ‘niche pro-grammes’ for minorities. What do you think about this?

So-called niche programmes have played an important role inthe past. Today, in the age of satellite television, a rethink iscalled for. It would be a mistake, however, to cancel pro-grammes aimed specifically at immigrants without finding analternative, as has happened repeatedly. In my view, specialisededitorial departments can play a key role in an organisation, bytransforming them into competence centres for the channel as awhole. They could act as centres of excellence and recruitinggrounds for up-and-coming journalists with an immigrantbackground. To achieve this, however, we need to devise a cor-porate strategy in order to foster successful links between spe-cialist editors and the channel as a whole.

In your view, how should the media deal with right-wing extrem-ist parties and opinions?

We should keep a close eye on right-wing extremism and itsbreeding ground and take it very seriously. The media shouldreport on the activities of right-wing extremists and their back-ground and investigate the causes of violence committed bythese extremists. Rather than silence them, elected politiciansof right-wing extremist parties should be exposed to critical,serious questioning from journalists. At the same time, it is es-sential that we foster a climate in which immigration is ac-cepted and cultural differences are valued. In the context of tel-evision, this could involve creating role models or ‘heroes’,with whom viewers will eventually identify.

Gualtiero Zambonini

24



‘Encouraging Diversity – Strength-ening Cohesion’ – in essence, thisleitmotif of integration policy inBerlin aims to achieve respectfuldealings between people in a citycharacterised today by its diversity.On the basis of this reality, integra-tion policy in Berlin faces particularchallenges. 13.5% of the city’s in-habitants do not have German na-tionality. If immigrants who havesubsequently obtained a Germanpassport are also taken into account,almost one Berliner in four comesfrom a ‘migrant background’.Among them, the largest groups of

migrants come from Turkey andCentral and Eastern Europe. Conse-quently, a relatively large proportionof migrants are of the Muslim faith(210,000). At 6.5% of the popula-tion, Muslims are the third largestreligious group in Berlin.

So what is Berlin doing to bringabout a more tolerant and moreunited society against this back-drop? There is broad consensus inthe city that Berlin’s future will de-pend substantially on the extent towhich it succeeds in further devel-oping Berlin as an immigration city.However, this is not an objectivewhich can be reached by one singlemeasure; it requires a very widerange of approaches. Integrationpolicy is a multidisciplinary taskwhich concerns all spheres of poli-

tics. A few examples are mentionedbelow.

1. Fostering respect and tol-

erance by fighting against

right wing extremism, racism

and antisemitism

A special programme run by thefederal state (Land) of Berlin isaimed directly at eradicating rightwing extremism, racism and anti-semitism and thus building up re-spect for others and achieving ac-ceptance of their (supposed) differ-ences. Each year, the city of Berlinsupports around 30 projects with acurrent budget of €1.22m. The pro-gramme covers areas including pre-vention, advice for victims, empow-erment and strengthening existingcommunity democratic structures.

Encouraging Diversity – StrengtheningCohesion: the leitmotif of integration policy in Berlin

By Sabine Kroker-Stille

‘Encouraging Diversity – Strengthening Cohesion’ – in essence, this leitmotif of integration pol-icy in Berlin aims to achieve respectful dealings between people in a city characterised by its di-versity. Modern urban societies live on the diversity of their citizens and attain their potentiali-ties and future prospects through them. The coming together of a diverse range of differentlifestyles because of immigration is per se an irreversible process, but ensuring that these im-migrants live and work together without friction also requires political action in order to avoidfragmentation of society. Important examples of this in Berlin are:

• Undertaking extensive programmes and initiatives to fight against right wing extremism,racism and antisemitism.

• Strengthening anti discrimination work by providing institutional backup.• Enhancing the integration of Muslims through dialogue and binding agreements.• Providing acceptance and support for migrants by means of public relations work and

awards.• Improving opportunities in education and on the job market.

25


The areas of action are:

• Mobile advice and networks,• Democratic youth culture,• Strengthening civil society,• Strengthening local integra-

tion/neighbourhood,• Victim support,• Documentation and research.

For example, young people learn todeal with conflicts without using vi-olence, to break down prejudicesand to accept differences amongthemselves. The projects have dif-ferent approaches; depending on thetarget group the topic is introducedby theatre work, rounds of discus-sions, talks, excursions or jointrecreational activities. The pro-gramme also advises local activistsand links up existing communityinitiatives. Most recently, it heldrounds of discussions and providedadvice to local government politi-cians after the extreme right wingNPD (NationaldemokratischePartei Deutschlands, German Na-tional Democratic Party) gainedseats in some of the Bezirksparla-mente (district parliaments). Theobjective was to discuss ways of,preventing the NPD from using theparliaments as a platform for its antidemocratic ideologies and slogans,while still dealing with it on a dem-ocratic footing.

2. Strengthening anti discrim-

ination work through a Senate

Co ordinating Centre Against

Discrimination

At the beginning of 2005, the Senateof Berlin established a Senate Co or-dinating Centre Against Discrimina-tion Based on Ethnic Origin, Beliefand Religion (Senatsleitstelle gegen

Diskriminierung aus ethnischen, re-ligiösen und weltanschaulichenGründen). This centre, based at theoffices of the Commissioner for Inte-gration, provides advice in the firstinstance to victims of discriminationbefore any court case, clarifies factsand if required arranges to providelegal clarification for lawyers. Incases of structural discrimination itmay be possible to bring about a po-litical solution. The Senate Co ordi-nating Centre’s duties also includeraising awareness of discriminationby means of public relations work,dialogue and empowerment. The factthat the Senate has provided institu-tional backup for the anti discrimina-tion work by setting up its own cen-tre was perceived as an importantsymbolic action with respect to mi-grants in particular and has rein-forced the Land’s previous anti dis-crimination work. In addition tofighting against right wing extrem-ism, the Centre has made the integra-tion of Muslims a further focal pointof its work.

3. Enhancing the integration

of Muslims through dialogue

and binding agreements

Recently, the topic of religion, in-cluding the different religious com-munities, has been playing an in-creasingly important role in publicdiscussions. When dealing with thevarious religions in Berlin, localpoliticians must safeguard the free-dom of religion guaranteed in theconstitution and at the same time areobliged to maintain religious neu-trality.

• In order to safeguard the reli-gious neutrality of the state, inareas where state functions are

carried out by civil servants (thejudiciary, police and schools),state law (the ‘neutrality law’)imposes a ban on wearing reli-

gious symbols (skullcap, turban,headscarf, large cross, etc.).

• A working group within the

education authority is cur-rently working with representa-tives of Islamic organisations,seeking consensual solutions insituations where conflict arisesfor Muslim pupils between theirfaith on the one hand and theirobligations at school on theother hand (participation insports and swimming classes,class trips and sex education).

• The Berliner Islamforum(Berlin Islamic Forum), set upa year ago, has raised the qualityof and commitment to dialoguewith the Muslim community tonew levels. The Forum holdsquarterly meetings where repre-sentatives of various mosques,the Catholic and Protestantchurches, the Jewish commu-nity, politicians (including offi-cials for the protection of theconstitution), representatives ofthe administrative authoritiesand of civil society hold an opendialogue (which is however notopen to the public). The meet-ings deal with subjects such assecurity, life and cooperation inthe district as well as currenttopics of interest.

• Representatives of the IslamicForum also carry out joint cam-paigns, for example comment-ing publicly on the current con-flict surrounding the building ofa mosque in the city. To date, theForum’s largest and most suc-

26


cessful exercise has been theAct of Remembrance for the

Victims of the Terrorist Attack

on 11 September 2001. In Sep-tember 2006, at the instigationof the Islamic Forum, 40 Berlinmosques called for peace at Fri-day prayers, alluding to Islam’speaceableness, and rememberedthe victims of the attacks. Onthat occasion, six mosques alsoopened up Friday prayers to nonMuslims, an invitation whichwas accepted by several wellknown figures.

• Furthermore, the Islamic Forumis currently drawing up recom-mendations describing the mostsuccessful instances of coopera-tion between mosques and thecommunity as a whole that havealready been put into action.There are already more than 35examples of good practice inthis field in Berlin, and it is anincreasing trend. Describingthese examples is intended toencourage imitation and to makethe efforts and successes public,so that negative reports and anegative image of ‘Islam’ and‘Muslims’ can be countered tosome extent.

• The participation of well knownpolitical, social and administra-tive figures in the breaking of

the fast (‘Iftar’ meal) during Ra-madan has also enabled thecommunities to get better ac-quainted and has improved con-tact between them. The ‘Openmosque day’ that has taken placeon 3 October for many years hashad a similar effect.

An ongoing survey requested bythe Berlin Commissioner for Inte-

gration on the lives of Muslims andmosque congregations in Berlin hasconcluded that in the last eightyears the mosque communitieshave become more open, and thatthey have also become more pro-fessional in their dealings with the

rest of the population as well as po-litical representatives and represen-tatives of the administrative author-ities. In addition, they have ex-panded the social activities they of-fer outside the direct practising oftheir religion. One of the reasonsfor this is considered to be that theyounger generation has gainedgreater influence within the mosquecommunities, which already at-tracts positive attention becausetheir language skills are better.However, the fact that politicianshave become more aware ofmosque communities in Berlin inthe last few years and are now morelikely to approach them and involvethem to a greater extent in relevantdecisions certainly also plays arole.

4. Providing acceptance and

support by means of public

relations work

Enhancing mutual acceptance andimproving the experience of livingand working together in solidarityalso requires that appreciation forone another is promoted and atten-tion is directed at positive, success-ful instances of integration and co-existence. Since public perceptionsare repeatedly shaped by problemcases which do not reflect the cul-tural, religious and social experi-encesof the people who live hereBerlin politicians regard it as theirduty to counter this prejudicial im-age by depicting the reality. TheBerlin Integration Commissioner’spublic relations work makes thepublic aware of successful initia-tives and successful migrants. Forexample, there is an annual Inte-

gration Day when successful mi-grants or initiatives are publicly ho-noured by the award of the Integra-

tion Prize. It is announced in ad-vance that the prize will be awardedin a particular field, and a jury thenchooses the winner or winners.

5. Improving migrants’ oppor-

tunities in education and on

the job market

As long as educational successesare insufficient and opportunities onthe job market are consequentlylimited, many of the endeavoursidentified, such as the fight againstracism, right wing extremism anddiscrimination, and dialogue, partic-ipation and acceptance, are likely toremain unsuccessful. The high un-employment rates among foreignersprovide shocking proof of this: al-most one foreigner in two is cur-

Integrationpolicy is amultidiscipli-nary taskwhich con-cerns allspheres ofpolitics.

27


rently out of work in Berlin. Anyonewho feels excluded from social par-ticipation on the job market, whobelieves he has no professionalprospects or who has been unsuc-cessful at school will have doubtsabout the solidarity of society andruns the risk of losing his feeling ofsolidarity with his fellow citizens.In this respect, a tolerant and unitedsociety undoubtedly needs a politi-cal system that will improve immi-grants’ opportunities in school, edu-cation and working life.

• In order to improve the linguis-tic abilities of migrants’ chil-dren, Berlin kindergartens carryout a language test and follow itup with language support tai-lored to the particular needs ofthe child.

• At special mothers’ courses, lan-guage courses for mothers takeplace in parallel with their chil-dren’s lessons. A few mosquesalso offer language classes, runin cooperation with the Volks-hochschulen (adult educationcentres) on mosque premises;this low threshold provisionreaches an important targetgroup.

• From 2007, the last year at nurs-ery will be free of charge for allchildren living in Berlin. Thisprovision is aimed in particularat teaching children from poorsocial backgrounds and children

of migrants social and languageskills and thus making the tran-sition to school easier for them.

• There is a special programmewhich targets migrants who areseeking training places or jobsbut have not yet been successful.

• A two year pilot project sup-ported by the EU investigatedthe transition from school to em-ployment. It was found that agreat deal of action is neededhere, because schools and busi-ness have hitherto failed to co-operate sufficiently. As a result,schools, employers’ associationsand companies are planningcloser cooperation in order toprepare young people better fortraining and employment.

Diversity as strength

Modern urban societies – such asBerlin – live on the diversity of their

citizens and attain their potentiali-ties and future prospects throughthem. Above all, diversity meansstrength, dynamism, liveliness andopenness. This diversity of cities ismanifested in their social, ethnic,cultural and religious characteris-tics. It is an irreversible processwhich must be acknowledged butwhich also makes specific demandson everyone. It is precisely for thisreason that a formative integrationpolicy is an integral part of moderncity politics.

We must do more than merely toler-ate the numerous different lifestylesthat have developed in many Euro-pean cities in the last few decades;this would be insufficient. If wewant to avoid or at least reduce theconflicts that accompany them, wemust shape their structural condi-tions. This means that a policy fos-tering mutual acceptance goes handin hand with a policy that safe-guards social cohesion and preventsthe fragmentation of society. TheBerlin leitmotif ‘Encouraging Di-versity – Strengthening Cohesion’symbolises all of these things.

Dr. Sabine Kroker Stille is head ofthe Berlin Senate Co-ordinatingCentre Against DiscriminationBased on Ethnic Origin, Belief andReligion, which was set up in Feb-ruary 2005. http://www.berlin.de/lb/intmig/leitstelle/

Above all, di-versity meansstrength, dynamism, liveliness andopenness.

Previous versions of Equal Voices

are available on the EUMC website

http://eumc.europa.eu

2007European Year of Equal Opportuni-ties for All

2005-2015Decade of Roma Inclusion

1 January 2007 - 30 June 2007German Presidency of the EU

• Symposium on crime preventionand criminal justice, Helsinki (Fin-land), organised by the European In-stitute for Crime Prevention andControl, affiliated with the UnitedNations (HEUNI); 22-23 January2007

• Equality Summit: Launchingconference of 2007 European Year ofEqual Opportunities; Berlin (Ger-many); 30-31 January 2007

• 70th Session of the UN Commit-tee on the Elimination of Racial Dis-crimination (CERD); 19 February - 9March 2007

• Council of Europe/ECRI Semi-nar with national specialised bodiesto combat racism and racial discrimi-nation on the issue of positive action;Strasbourg (France); 22-23 February2007

• UN Intergovernmental WorkingGroup on the effective implementa-tion of the Durban Declaration andProgramme of Action; 5-9 March2007

• March Conference: "Integrationand Diversity" on the results of theXENOS Programme – Living andWorking in Diversity, organised bythe German Federal Ministry ofLabour and Social Affairs; Lübeck(Germany); 14-15 March 2007

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Members Deputy Members

Belgium: Eliane Deproost Jozef De Witte

Czech Republic: Petr Uhl Jirí Kopal

Denmark: Niels Johan Petersen nomination pending

Germany: Claudia Roth Claus Henning Schapper

Estonia: Tanel Mätlik Michael Gallagher

Greece: Spyridon Flogaitis Nikolaos Frangakis

Spain: Rosa Aparicio Gómez Lorenzo Cachón Rodríguez

France: Guy Braibant Jean-Marie Coulon

Ireland: Anastasia Crickley Rory O'Donnel

Italy: Beniamino Caravita di Toritto Massimiliano Monnanni

Cyprus: Eliana Nicolaou Aristos Tsiartas

Latvia: Ilze Brands Kehris Gita Feldhune

Lithuania: Arvydas Virgilijus Matulionis Šarunas Liekis

Luxemburg: Victor Weitzel Anne Henniqui

Hungary: András Kádár Katalin Pécsi

Malta: Duncan Borg Myatt Claire Zarb

The Netherlands: Jenny E. Goldschmidt Gilbert R. Wawoe

Austria: Helmut Strobl Peter J. Scheer

Poland: Piotr Mochnaczewski Danuta Glowacka-Mazur

Portugal: Rui Pedro Pena Pires nomination pending

Slovenia: Vera Klopcic Tatjana Strojan

Slovakia: Miroslav Kusy Tibor Pichler

Finland: Mikko Puumalainen Kristina Stenman

Sweden: Hans Ytterberg Anna-Karin Johansson

United Kingdom: Naina Patel nomination pending

Council Of Europe: Gün Kut Maja Sersic

European Parliament: Chafia Mentalecheta Richard Séréro

European Commission: Francisco Fonseca Morillo Stefan Olsson

OBSERVERS

Bulgaria: Emil Konstantinov

Croatia: Josip Kregar

Romania: Monica Vlad

Turkey: Ioanna Kuçuradi

Chairperson: Anastasia Crickley Ireland

Vice Chairperson: Ilze Brands Kehris Latvia

Member: Helmut Strobl Austria

Member: Francisco Fonseca Morillo European Commission

Member: Gün Kut Council Of Europe

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