The Directorate of Anti-Discrimination is leading two open sessions at the Fundamental Rights Forum 2018, in Vienna, Austria

On 25 September, the Anti-Discrimination Department, together with the European Union’s Fundamental Rights Agency will conduct an open session on national minorities and identities. Different speakers, including Professor Fernand de Varennes, United Nations Special Rapporteur on Minorities Issues, Professor Edita Žiobienė, acting President of the Advisory Committee on the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and József Nagy, Member of European Parliament, will discuss the difficulties national minorities face, including as regards expressing their identity, in today’s Europe.

On 26 September, Anti-Discrimination Department of Director General for Democracy and the Directorate General for Human Rights and Rule of Law will conduct an open session on combatting hate speech at the Fundamental Rights Forum to show how different responses to hate speech (criminal, administrative and civil law, self-regulation, counter- and positive speech) have worked in different situations, in full respect of freedom of expression and Right to private life and dignity. The session will look at the European Court of Human Rights case law; experience of NGOs, Council of Europe monitoring and standard-setting bodies and No Hate Speech campaign; and the Code of Conduct agreed between the European Commission and the internet industry. Speakers include Domenica Ghidei Biidu, Member ECRI, Linda Ravo, Fundamental Rights Policy Unit, DG Justice and Consumers, European Commission and Michaël Privot, Director of the European Network against Racism (ENAR).