Counicl of Europe: Five new ECRI reports

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Subject: Counicl of Europe: Five new ECRI reports

From: MINELRES moderator <[email protected]>

Original sender: Paula Eck-Walters <[email protected]>

Counicl of Europe: Five new ECRI reports


Please find attached press release concerning 5 new ECRI reports on
Estonia, Georgia, Ireland, Italy and Romania.  The reports are
available in English and French on ECRI's website (new address:
http://www.coe.int/t/E/human_rights/ecri/ .

Paula Eck-Walters


Council of Europe: Five new reports on racism

Strasbourg, 23.04.2002 - The Council of Europe's expert body on
combating racism, the European Commission against Racism and
Intolerance (ECRI), today released five new reports examining racism,
xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance in Estonia, Georgia,
Ireland, Italy and Romania. ECRI recognises that in all five Council
of Europe member countries positive developments have occurred. At the
same time, the reports detail continuing grounds for concern for the
Council's Commission against Racism.

In Estonia, problems remain with regard to the situation of the
Russian-speaking communities, many of whom are non-citizens. These
persons risk exclusion and marginalisation from the structures of the
country and from the democratic process - a situation which may evolve
into ethnic tensions, says ECRI.

In Georgia, different groups, such as religious and national
minorities, are confronted with problems of racism, intolerance, and
direct or indirect discrimination. The response to such problems, in
particular from the police and from the prosecuting authorities, has
not been adequate in most instances. ECRI notes the lack of civil and
administrative anti-discrimination statutory provisions, as well as of
criminal law provisions in this respect.

In Ireland, a degree of intolerance towards persons of immigrant
origin, refugees, asylum-seekers and the "Traveller community" is
noted by ECRI. Discrimination and intolerance are manifested, notably,
by the refusal of entry into public places, verbal harassment and - 
in some cases -  violence. 

In Italy, problems of racism and xenophobia affect more particularly
non-EU citizens, as well as Italian and non-Italian Roma/Gypsies.
Manifestations of these problems include societal prejudice,
discrimination and instances of violence, in some cases by the police.
The role played by certain politicians having recourse to racially
inflammatory and xenophobic propaganda in the development of this
situation is stressed by ECRI.

In Romania, problems persist with regard to the lack of implementation
of the legislative provisions (particularly in the field of criminal
law) to combat racism and discrimination and concerning the climate of
opinion in the country. The Roma/Gypsy community remains particularly
disadvantaged in all fields and faces a significant level of
discrimination; notably, the problem of police behaviour towards
members of this minority group has not yet been entirely solved. 

The five new reports form part of a second cycle of monitoring of
Council of Europe member States' laws, policies and practices in order
to combat racism. ECRI's country-specific reports (available on the
internet site www.ecri.coe.int in English and French) cover all member
States on an equal footing, in the perspective of the protection of
human rights. The second reports examine the implementation of
proposals made to the government in previous reports, they provide a
general up-date and also contain a deeper analysis of selected issues
of particular concern in the relevant country.

*
Paula Eck-Walters
Documentaliste
Secr�tariat de l'ECRI
Direction G�n�rale des Droits de l'Homme - DG II
Council of Europe
F - 67075 STRASBOURG
Tel: 00 33 3 88 41 33 99
Fax: 00 33 3 88 41 39 87
E-mail: [email protected]

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