ECRI's 4th report on Spain highlights significant progress in the fight against discrimination [editar]
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), an independent body established by the Council of Europe in order to monitor issues concerning racism and intolerance, has just published its fourth report on the situation of racism and intolerance in Spain. The report, based on a methodology that combines literature review, contact visits and confidential dialogue with national authorities, emphasizing the significant progress made in the last five years in Spain.
The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), an independent body established by the Council of Europe in order to monitor issues concerning racism and intolerance, has just published its fourth report on the situation of racism and intolerance in Spain. The report, based on a methodology that combines literature review, contact visits and confidential dialogue with national authorities, highlights the significant progress made in the last five years in Spain.
The study has four purposes: to analyze the evolution of the situation of racism and intolerance in Spain, the evaluation of policies and measures taken by public authorities to combat racism, correct evaluation of the implementation of recommendations made in previous reports, and making specific suggestions and recommendations on how to address the problems identified.
The ECRI report notes that the Spanish government has invested substantial financial and human resources to combat discrimination and racism. Special prosecutors have been appointed in the field against hate crimes and cyber crime and has created the Council for the Promotion of Equal Treatment and Non Discrimination by race or ethnic origin. New legal and institutional measures to combat racism in sport and in the classroom, and the consolidation of social rights of immigrants, fully intend to fight against racism and discrimination.
ECRI also affects the substantial progress made since 2005 for the empowerment of the Roma people and guarantee their fundamental rights. Also emphasizes the creation of the State Council of the Roma in 2005 to advise the government on policies affecting the Roma community, the founding of the Roma Cultural Institute in 2007 to promote Roma culture and identity, and the recent adoption of the new Action Plan for the Development of Roma (2010-2012) with an annual budget of 8 million euros, and the measures taken to eliminate slums and working to facilitate the inclusion of the Roma (such as the Access program of the FSG cited in the chapter on Employment.)
However, ECRI also highlights some concerns regarding public administration and especially the developments in civil society. The lack of data on racism and hate crimes, the lack of formal independence of the Council for the Promotion of Equal Treatment, the persistence of public schools 'ghettos' for migrant children and Roma and the lack of measures of desegregation , the discriminatory potential of the new Alien and asylum law (which, for example, exclude Roma from Member States), and lack of independent oversight of police misconduct are some identified elements.
This report is the fourth prepared by ECRI on Spain, and was presented along with those of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Turkey, Monaco and Armenia. FSG participated, as on previous occasions, in the round of interviews and consultations in preparation of the report on Spain.