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Palace of the Parliament in Bucharest Romania., Source: PJ Gal Szabo / Unsplash

EU Anti-Semitism Working Group meets in Bucharest

EU Anti-Semitism Working Group meets in Bucharest

It works to prevent the spread of hate speech and xenophobia, as well as Holocaust denial on the EU level

Today, over 80 delegates from across Europe met in Bucharest for the fourth meeting of the Working Group on the implementation of the first EU Strategy on combating anti-Semitism and fostering Jewish life. The strategy was adopted by the European Commission to counter Holocaust denial as well as set up cooperation with companies to curb online anti-Semitism and find ways to protect public spaces and places of worship.

The delegates represent different EU and national institutions responsible for the fight against anti-Semitism from across the block, representatives of Jewish organisations and representatives from Moldova and Ukraine. During the meeting in Romania, the Working Group will discuss the role of Jewish people in the country, as well as Romania’s progress on the issue.

National strategies against Holocaust Denial

The meeting will take place between 2-4 May and was organized by the Romanian government with the support of the EU Commission. The opening ceremony will take place on Tuesday, at the Victoria Palace, with special guests like the Romanian Prime Minister Nicolae-Ionel Ciucă and the Vice-President of the European Commission for Promoting our European Way of Life, Margaritis Schinas.

At the meeting, the Working Group will discuss the development and implementation of national strategies in the field, as well as the overall progress in the fight against anti-Semitism. Another important topic on the agenda is the ongoing discussion on the dangers of Holocaust denial for democratic societies, in light of the war in Ukraine.

The European Union adopted the Strategy on combating anti-Semitism and fostering Jewish life in 2021 and established a framework for legislation in the field for 2021-2030. The strategy has three pillars: preventing and combating all forms of anti-Semitism; the protection and promotion of Jewish life; education, research and memory of the Holocaust.

The Working Group was established as a permanent body, which supports reaching the policy’s target on the national levels. Romania was among the first member states to adopt the strategy, back in May 2021, with a National Strategy for preventing anti-Semitism, xenophobia, radicalization and hate speech.

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