The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), in co-operation with the National Consultative Commission on Human Rights (CNCDH) and the Defender of Rights (DDD), organised a round table on Thursday 25 April in Paris to discuss the follow-up given or to be given to the recommendations made by ECRI in its report on France published in 2022.

The roundtable was structured around three sessions:

•  Presentation of ECRI's report on France;
•  Travellers: how to ensure their effective equality;
•  Prevention of any abusive practice by law enforcement officials against people from diverse backgrounds.

Opening statements were made by Olivier Klein, Head of the Inter-ministerial Delegation on Combating Racism, Antisemitism and Anti-LGBT Hatred (DILCRAH), Bertil Cottier, Chair of ECRI, Claire Hédon, Defender of Rights, and Jean-Marie Burguburu, President of the CNCDH. ECRI's report on France was presented by Jean-Paul Lehners, ECRI Rapporteur on France. 

In addition to representatives of the authorities, the round table brought together various civil society actors and members of groups of concern to ECRI. This event contributed to the national debate on the fight against racism and intolerance in the country.

In its 2022 report on France, ECRI expressed concern about issues such as the prevalence of hate speech, including in politics, as well as in audiovisual media and social media, which sometimes contributed to creating an environment conducive to acts of violence against Travellers and Roma, people with a non-European immigrant background, LGBTI people or people perceived as Jewish or Muslim.

(Panelists (4) - from left to right: Mathias DREYFUSS, Deputy Head of the Inter-ministerial Delegation on Combating Racism, Antisemitism and Anti-LGBT Hatred (DILCRAH), Anne-Françoise TISSIER, ECRI Member in respect of France and moderator, Jean-Paul LEHNERS, ECRI Rapporteur on France, and Johan FRIESTEDT, Executive Secretary of ECRI)

ECRI has also expressed concern about the situation of Travellers and Roma, who continued to suffer discrimination in all areas of life. Another priority area of concern was the relations between law enforcement officials and the population, including people with an immigrant background or belonging to minority groups.

ECRI therefore recommended as a matter of priority :

• as regards Travellers, to recognise the caravan as a type of housing and review the restrictions affecting their parking;
• as concerns the relations between law enforcement officials and the population, to introduce an effective system for tracking identity checks conducted by law enforcement officials.

The level of implementation of these two priority recommendations will be reviewed in 2024.

Conclusions from the Round Table (only available in French)

Link to the event