Introduction: Anti-Racist Movements in the European Union: Between National Specificity and Europeanisation

Abstract

The Treaty of Amsterdam, agreed to by the European Union (EU) heads of government in June 1997, provided the EU with a new common framework for combating racial discrimination within its borders. The European directives that were subsequently adopted in 2000¹ under this framework have required the adoption of new national legislation across the EU Member States, linking the national and European policy-making spheres in a new way. In some cases Member States have implemented specific legislation and policy to combat racial discrimination for the first time. The new policy-making environment has also impacted on associations and organisations which have developed to oppose and combat racism and racial discrimination or defend the rights and interests of groups, such as migrants, that are vulnerable to racism. This altered environment has created new opportunities for such associations and organisations to influence policy-making. Nevertheless, the common overarching policy framework provided by the EU needs to be set against the backdrop of stark differences in terms of the national policy framework in which the directives have been implemented and in which anti-racist movements operate. These differences are related to the level of development, sophistication and institutionalisation of existing national policy and legislation to combat racism nd racial discrimination, the nature and level of racism and discrimination in the Member State concerned, and the way in which racism manifests itself, and public attitudes to the issue as well as the attitude of government actors and political parties.