EU's Latest Anti-Racism Strategy Faces Sharp Criticism from Civil Society

The European Commission has unveiled its renewed anti-racism strategy for 2026-2030, aiming to bolster efforts against discrimination across the Union. However, the plan, intended to build upon the previous 2020-2025 action blueprint, has been met with significant reservations and outright criticism from civil society organizations, who argue it falls short of addressing the pervasive and structural nature of racism in Europe. While the Commission champions its commitment to equality, key anti-racism advocates contend the strategy largely recycles existing, non-binding measures and overlooks crucial areas of concern, particularly the intersection of racism and migration policy.

The Commission's Renewed Commitment

Presented as a continuation and strengthening of prior initiatives, the European Commission's latest anti-racism strategy aims to combat racism in all its forms, ensuring a Europe where individuals can thrive without prejudice. The strategy seeks to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of existing EU anti-discrimination laws, including reviewing the Racial Equality directive from 2000 and considering stronger sanctions where necessary. It also emphasizes enhancing measures against hate speech and hate crime, safeguarding victims' rights through EU laws, and supporting equality bodies across member states.

The Commission has also outlined plans to tackle barriers and foster inclusion in critical sectors such as education, employment, healthcare, and housing. Proposed initiatives include an EU-wide campaign to raise awareness, continuing equal access programs, and conducting studies to identify risks and solutions for vulnerable groups in housing. Furthermore, the strategy intends to foster anti-racism partnerships at all societal levels and improve the collection, analysis, and use of equality data. This renewed focus comes at a time when nearly two out of three citizens still perceive racial discrimination as a widespread issue in their countries, according to a recent Eurobarometer survey.

Civil Society's Critical Verdict

Despite the Commission's stated ambitions, civil society organizations, notably the European Network Against Racism (ENAR), have voiced strong disapproval, suggesting the strategy "misses the point." ENAR, a pan-European network of over 160 member organizations, highlighted that while it was deeply involved in the public consultation process, it was excluded from the actual drafting of the strategy. This lack of meaningful involvement in the final stages, they argue, has resulted in a document that fails to adequately address the "scale, urgency and structural nature of racism in the EU."

According to ENAR, the strategy largely recycles existing approaches and relies heavily on non-binding measures, rather than marking a "decisive break" from the shortcomings of the previous 2020-2025 Anti-Racism Action Plan. Critics suggest this approach avoids confronting the EU's own responsibility in perpetuating structural racism, hindering the potential for truly transformative change.

Glaring Omissions and Structural Blind Spots

One of the most significant criticisms leveled against the new strategy is its explicit exclusion of migration policy. Civil society groups and some political figures consider this a glaring omission, given the deep intersection between anti-migrant rhetoric and racial discrimination in contemporary European politics. With far-right parties gaining traction across Europe and contributing to the normalization of racist behavior, the failure to address anti-immigrant sentiment within an anti-racism framework is seen as a critical weakness.

Further concerns have been raised regarding the perceived unequal treatment of the EU's anti-racism coordinator. Reports indicate that while coordinators for combating antisemitism and anti-Muslim hatred were elevated to more influential positions within the Commission's secretariat-general, the anti-racism coordinator remained in a standard department. This disparity has been interpreted by some MEPs and campaigners, including French Green MEP Mélissa Camara, as creating "unacceptable hierarchies" within anti-racism work and sending a "dangerous message" about the Commission's priorities. Such decisions, critics argue, undermine efforts to address racism as a systemic issue.

Moreover, NGOs point to continued weaknesses in data collection, stressing the need for standardized data disaggregated by ethnic origin and other relevant indicators to truly understand and combat racial disparities. The strategy is also seen as insufficient in critically reassessing the role of law enforcement in anti-racism efforts, with advocates calling for a shift towards community-led solutions and preventive measures that build trust and address root causes, rather than merely expanding the role of policing, even through training programs.

A Call for Transformative Change

In response to these perceived shortcomings, civil society organizations and supportive Members of the European Parliament are advocating for a more robust and comprehensive approach. They call for legally binding legislation and effective sanctions to give the anti-racism strategy genuine teeth. A long-standing demand is the adoption of the Equal Treatment Directive, which the Commission first proposed in 2008 and has yet to be approved by member states.

ENAR and its partners emphasize the necessity for the EU to protect anti-racist civil society organizations, particularly those led by racialized people, and to support migrants who are increasingly subjected to defunding, threats, and criminalization. They advocate for mainstreaming anti-racist principles across all EU policies and tackling racism at its roots by confronting and dismantling the systems that perpetuate inequality. This includes stronger coordination across EU, national, and local levels, along with the meaningful participation of civil society organizations and the most marginalized communities. Additionally, a more ambitious strategy, they argue, should explicitly reference and align with international frameworks like the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) and the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action.

Bridging the Credibility Gap

The divergence between the European Commission's latest anti-racism strategy and the expectations of civil society highlights a persistent credibility gap. While the Commission expresses its commitment to combating racism in all its forms, the absence of legally binding measures, the omission of critical areas like migration, and the perceived marginalization of certain anti-racism efforts raise serious questions about the strategy's potential impact. As Europe grapples with the enduring challenge of racism and the rise of exclusionary political narratives, the effectiveness of any anti-racism framework will ultimately be judged by its capacity for transformative action, rather than by declarations alone. The call from civil society is clear: a truly impactful strategy must be bold, binding, and deeply rooted in the lived experiences of those it seeks to protect.