Commission presents its response to Antisemitism and a survey showing Antisemitism is on the rise in the EU

Today, the Commission responds to a new survey by the EU Fundamental Rights Agency which finds that 9 out of 10 European Jews feel Antisemitism has increased over the past five years.

The results of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency’s latest survey on Antisemitism are particularly worrying: 85% of European Jews consider Antisemitism to be the biggest social or political problem in their home country. Other figures, amongst others, show that Antisemitism is pervasive and is having an impact on the daily lives of European Jews throughout the EU.

First Vice-President Frans Timmermans said: “I’m deeply concerned about the growth of antisemitism as concluded by the report of the Fundamental Rights Agency. It is essential that we combat this scourge forcefully and collectively. The Jewish community must feel safe and at home in Europe. If we cannot achieve this, Europe ceases to be Europe.”

Věra Jourová, European Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, added:“70 years after the Holocaust, I am deeply saddened that 9 out of 10 Jews in Europe say that Antisemitism has increased over the past five years. The Jewish community should feel at home and safe in Europe, whether they are on the way to the synagogue or surfing online. The Commission is acting together with Member States to counter the rise of Antisemitism, to fight holocaust denial and to guarantee that Jews have the full support of the authorities to keep them safe.”

The results of today’s survey confirm the importance of the work the European Commission has been doing, and is continuing to do, to counter Antisemitism. The Commission has   appointed in 2015 a Coordinator on combating Antisemitism to liaise with Jewish communities and to strengthen cooperation with organisations working in that field.

To tackle the increase of Antisemitism in the online sphere, the Commission launched in 2016 a Code of Conduct on illegal online hate speech. In June 2016, the European Commission also launched the High Level Group on combating Racism, Xenophobia and other forms of Intolerance to step up cooperation and coordination, to better prevent and combat hate crime and hate speech.