The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) is an independent human rights monitoring body of the Council of Europe that specializes in combating racism, xenophobia, antisemitism, and intolerance. ECRI conducts country monitoring to analyze national situations, identify problems, and suggest solutions. It also makes general policy recommendations to provide guidance to states. ECRI works closely with national authorities and civil society to promote its monitoring and recommendations. Its reports have led some countries to enact new anti-discrimination legislation and change policies.

1. European Commission
against Racism and
Intolerance
(ECRI)
The independent human rights monitoring body of
the Council of Europe in the field of combating
racism and intolerance

2. • Decision of creation (political) : First
Summit of Heads of State and Governments of
the member States of the Council of Europe
(Vienna, 1993)
• Statute (legal) : Since 2002 it has an
autonomous statute, which was adopted by the
Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe

3. • ECRI is an independent human rights monitoring mechanism
specialised in combating racism, xenophobia, antisemitism and
intolerance
• ECRI is composed of 47 independent and impartial members.
They serve in their individual capacity and do not receive
instructions from their governments.
• ECRI takes its decisions at plenary sessions held in
Strasbourg three times a year.
• ECRI has a permanent Secretariat based in the CoE.

4. Mandate
• ECRI’s action covers all measures to combat racism,
xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance.
• ECRI defines racism in a very broad manner which
covers not only grounds such as race, colour and
national or ethnic origin but also other grounds such as
language, religion and nationality.
• Intolerance is to be understood as intolerance related to
racism, xenophobia or antisemitism.
• ECRI’s action covers all measures necessary to counter
violence, discrimination, and prejudice that individuals or
groups may experience on those grounds

5. ACTIVITIES:
1. Country-by-country monitoring
2. Work on general themes
3. Relations with civil society and
national anti-discrimination bodies

6. 1. MONITORING
The Country- by-country reports
1. Analysis of the national situation
2. Identification of problems
3. Suggestion of solutions.
All member States, on an equal footing (no ad hoc visit)
ECRI’s fourth round monitoring 2008-2013 focuses on:
1. implementation of recommendations from reports of the
2. three recommendations for priority implementation within
two years

7. Issues covered by the report
• The legal framework for combating racism
and racial discrimination and its
implementation;
• The existence of independent bodies to assist
victims of racism;
• The situation of vulnerable groups in specific
areas (education, employment, housing etc.);
• The tone of political discourse around issues
relevant to these groups.
• Monitoring of racism and discrimination
(Data/Statistics)

8. Sources of information used by
ECRI for its reports
• Written sources
 CoE / ECHR
 Other IGOs
 Anti-discrimination bodies
 Local, national or international NGO’s
 Studies, research and press articles
• Contact visits
 Direct consultation with national authorities
 Relevant NGO’s, Minorities, Migrants
 Visit to specific communities

9. Co-operation with national
authorities
• Monitoring system based principle of co-operation
with national authorities:
• Before the report
• During contact visit organised in cooperation with the
national authorities
• Confidential dialogue at the draft stage
• Government’s comments and observations in the
appendix of the report.
• Report made public (unless the governmen objects. no
government has objected so far).

10. Publication and Round tables
• Communication and information when the reports
are published.
• Translation of the report in the national language
• Round table in the country to discuss ECRI’s
recommendations and consider how best to put
them in practice

11. 2. WORK ON GENERAL THEMES
General Policy Recommendations (GPR)
on issues of particular concern to ECRI
GPR’s aim is to provide guidance to
States

12. GPR’s
- N° 1: Combating racism
- N° 2: National specialised bodies
- N° 3: Roma/Gypsies
- N° 4: National Surveys Victims
- N° 5: Islamophobia
- N° 6: Internet
- N° 7: National legislation
- N° 8: Anti-terrorist measures
- N° 9: Antisemitism
- N°10: Combating racism and discrimination in and through education
- N°11: Combating racism and racial discrimination in policing
- N°12: Combating racism and racial discrimination in the field of sport.
- N°13: Combating anti-Gypsyism and discrimination against Roma
- N°14: Combating racism and racial discrimination in employment

13. 3. RELATIONS WITH CIVIL SOCIETY
Programme of action:
- Information sessions and national round tables in
the member States.
- Co-operation with NGOs
- Communication strategy (Media coverage)
- Contacts with the Youth Sector

14. Co-operation with other European and
International Organisations:
Other important actors in the field of combating racism,
xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance, including:
• EU: European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA)
• OSCE: The Office for Democratic Institutions and Human
Rights (ODIHR)’s tasking on Tolerance and Non-Discrimination
• UN: The Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination
(CERD), the Anti-Discrimination Unit of the Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), UN High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

15. Impact of ECRI’s work
• The European Court of Human Rights has used ECRI’s
reports and standards several times in the drafting of its
judgements.
• ECRI’s GPR N° 2 on national specialised bodies to combat
racism and racial discrimination has been a very useful tool for
NGOs and other bodies who have lobbied states in order to
create a body with wider competencies and more independence
than foreseen by the EU directive.
• ECRI’s GPR No.7 has been widely used by the governments of
member states in the recent legislative reforms in the field of
anti-discrimination. This Recommendation has been used as a
check-list of provisions to be included in order to ensure that the
relevant legislation is exhaustive.
• ECRI’s country-monitoring reports have triggered post-
publication debate in many countries. Some specific
recommendations in the reports have led to new legislation
and to changes of policy.

16. Examples of ECRI’s impact
• Finland – In 2004 Finland introduced primary anti-
discrimination legislation in order to transpose the EU
directives on Equal Treatment. The Act goes further
than required by the Directives and, in conformity
with an ECRI recommendation, places public
authority under a duty to promote equality and
requires them to draw up equality plans in order to
comply with this duty. Also, as recommended, the
legislation further covers discrimination on the basis
of nationality (i.e. citizenship).

17. Examples of ECRI’s impact
• Estonia – In 2001 ECRI recommended that Estonian
authorities extend the functions of the Office of the Legal
Chancellor (Ombudsman) to include issues of racism and
racial discrimination. In January 2004, a conciliation
procedure before the Ombudsman was introduced.
Persons discriminated could therefore bring complaints
before this body.
• France – in 2010 ECRI recommended the adoption and
implementation of a national action plan against racism. In
15 February 2012 a National Action Plan against racism
2012-2014 was adopted. It makes the fight against racism
and anti-Semitism a priority of the governmental action.

18. For further information:
Secretariat of ECRI
Council of Europe
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
FRANCE
ecri@coe.int
+33 (0)3 88 41 29 64
+33 (0)3 88 41 39 87
Visit our website: www.coe.int/ecri