Changes from report parliamentary committee draft to plenary report

MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

on extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crime

(2023/2068(INI))

The European Parliament,

Changed– having regard to the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union (the ‘Charter’), and in particular Articles 1, 7, 20, 21, 2222, 23, 25 and 2326 thereof,

– having regard to the Treaty on European Union (TEU), and in particular Articles 2, 3 and 6 thereof,

Changed– having regard to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union,Union (TFEU), and in particular Articles 19 and 83(1) thereof,

▸6 unchanged paragraphs

– having regard to the European Convention on Human Rights and the related case-law of the European Court of Human Rights,

– having regard to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights,

– having regard to the case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 9 December 2021 entitled ‘A more inclusive and protective Europe: extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crime’ (COM(2021)0777) and the proposal for a Council decision annexed thereto,

– having regard to Council Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA of 28 November 2008 on combating certain forms and expressions of racism and xenophobia by means of criminal law,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 5 March 2020 entitled ‘A Union of Equality: Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025’ (COM(2020)0152),

Changed– having regard to the Commission communication of 18 September 2020 entitled ‘A Union of Equality:equality: EU anti-racism action plan 2020-2025’ (the EU anti-racism action plan) (COM(2020)0565),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 12 November 2020 entitled ‘Union of Equality: LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025’ (COM(2020)0698),

– having regard to the Commission communication of 3 March 2021 entitled ‘Union of Equality: Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030’ (COM(2021)0101), and to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, ratified by the EU and all its Member States,

– having regard to the Commission communication of 24 June 2020 entitled ‘EU Strategy on victims’ rights (2020-2025)’ (COM(2020)0258),

Changed– having regard to the Council of Europe recommendation of 20 May 2022 of the Committee of Ministers to Membermember States on combating hate speech (CM/Rec(2022)16),

Changed– having regard to the Council of Europe’s Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) General Policy Recommendation No 15 on combating hate speech, adopted on 8 December 2015,

Removed– having regard to the recommendations, reports and resolutions of the ECRI, the Steering Committee on Anti-Discrimination, Diversity and Inclusion (CDADI), the Parliamentary Assembly, the Venice Commission and other bodies of the Council of Europe,

Added– having regard to the Council of Europe’s Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages,

Changed– having regard to the guidelines on improving therecommendations, collectionreports and useresolutions of equality data drawn upthe byECRI, the SubgroupSteering onCommittee Equalityon DataAnti-Discrimination, ofDiversity theand CommissionInclusion, Highthe LevelParliamentary GroupAssembly, onthe Non-discrimination,Venice EqualityCommission and Diversityother 2018bodies andof publishedthe inCouncil 2021,of Europe,

Removed– having regard to the UN Human Rights Treaties and the UN instruments on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRDP),

Added– having regard to the guidelines on improving the collection and use of equality data drawn up by the Subgroup on Equality Data of the Commission High Level Group on Non-discrimination, Equality and Diversity and published in 2021,

Added– having regard to the UN Human Rights Treaties and the UN instruments on the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms, in particular the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, and to the recommendations of the annual UN Forum on Minority Issues,

Added– having regard to the annual hate crime data published by the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights every year on 16 November,

– having regard to its resolution of 25 November 2020 on strengthening media freedom: the protection of journalists in Europe, hate speech, disinformation and the role of platforms,

– having regard to its resolution of 16 September 2021 with recommendations to the Commission on identifying gender-based violence as a new area of crime listed in Article 83(1) TFEU,

Added– having regard to its resolution of 13 November 2018 on minimum standards for minorities in the EU,

– having regard to Rule 105(5) of its Rules of Procedure,

Changed– having regard to the reportopinion of the Committee on Civil Liberties,Women's JusticeRights and Home AffairsGender (A9-0000/2023),Equality

Change 1

RemovedA. whereas any form of discrimination based on any ground such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation as laid down in Article 21 of the Charter is prohibited;

Added– having regard to the report of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (A9-0377/2023),

RemovedB. whereas all forms and manifestations of hatred and intolerance, including hate speech and hate crime, are incompatible with the Union values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law and respect for human rights, as enshrined in Article 2 of the TEU;

AddedA. whereas any form of discrimination based on any ground such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation as laid down in Article 21 of the Charter is prohibited; whereas, within the scope of the Treaties and without prejudice to any of their specific provisions, any discrimination on the grounds of nationality is also prohibited; whereas following the broad interpretation by the CJEU, the grounds of ‘sex’ should be understood broadly to encompass all forms of discrimination related to gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics;

RemovedC. whereas hate speech and hate crime are particularly serious crimes and affect not only the individual victims and their communities, causing them suffering and limiting their fundamental rights and freedoms, but also society as a whole, undermining the foundations of the EU;

AddedB. whereas all forms and manifestations of hatred and intolerance, including hate speech and hate crimes, are incompatible with the Union values of human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities, as enshrined in Article 2 TEU; whereas the promotion and protection of those Union founding values depends on the EU institutions, Member States and any other relevant actor countering bias, prejudice and intolerance, as well as on the elimination of hatred;

RemovedD. whereas not all hate speech constitutes a crime but it does contribute to normalising manifestations of hatred and intolerance;

AddedC. whereas hate speech and hate crimes are complex and multidimensional phenomena with far-reaching consequences for human rights and the rule of law in democratic societies; whereas tackling xenophobia, racism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia and other forms of prejudice, intolerance, discrimination, including those based on political or other opinions, and hatred against certain individuals or societal groups requires the EU and its Member States to develop a holistic response in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders, including civil society; whereas criminalisation is one tool to combat hate speech and hate crimes;

RemovedE. whereas in the last few decades there has been a sharp rise in discrimination, hate crime and hate speech across the EU, an increase in various forms of racism, xenophobia and other forms of intolerance and an alarming spike in online and offline hate speech and incitement; whereas this is being exacerbated in many Member States by extremist and populist movements and the multiplier effect of the online environment and social media, which favours revictimisation;

AddedD. whereas fighting hate speech and hate crimes, both online and offline, requires a multidimensional approach and, where appropriate, different means to combat them, including criminal law, civil and administrative proceedings and other significant policies or social measures; whereas the Member States have already committed to adopting legislation and measures that penalise hate crimes, address under-reporting and introduce or further develop capacity-building activities for law enforcement and judicial officials; whereas in order to effectively combat hate speech and hate crimes, it is essential to tackle their root causes, in particular stereotypes; whereas preventive measures, education, including digital education, literacy and skills to promote safe digital spaces, training, and awareness raising are key in this regard; whereas the EU and the Member States should promote a better understanding of the need for diversity and dialogue within a context of democracy, human rights and the rule of law, raise public awareness of the importance of respecting pluralism and combat negative stereotyping and stigmatisation;

RemovedF. whereas minors are particularly vulnerable victims of hate speech and hate crime and whereas such attacks endanger their physical and mental integrity and affect their development and mental health;

AddedE. whereas hate speech and hate crimes can constitute particularly serious crimes and affect not only the individual victims and their communities, by causing them suffering and limiting their fundamental rights and freedoms, but also society as a whole, by undermining the foundations of the EU;

Change 2

ChangedG.F. whereas Member States do not addressall hate speech and hate crime in the same way in their respective criminalconstitutes laws,a whichcrime, makesbut it difficultstill contributes to definenormalising amanifestations commonof Europeanhatred, strategyviolence toand combatintolerance it;in society;

Change 3

RemovedH. whereas the current EU framework only covers hate speech and hate crimes on the grounds of race, skin colour, religion and national or ethnic origin; whereas there is a clear need to effectively address hate speech and hate crimes based on other grounds, such as sex, sexual orientation, age and disability;

AddedG. whereas in the last few decades, there has been a sharp rise in discrimination, hate crimes and hate speech across the EU, an increase in various forms of racism, antisemitism, islamophobia, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia and other forms of intolerance and an alarming spike in online and offline hate speech and incitement; whereas persons belonging to vulnerable groups, such as LGBTIQ+ people, racialised people, ethnic, religious or linguistic minorities, indigenous communities,, people with disabilities, people with socioeconomic disadvantaged backgrounds, asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, are recurring targets of hate speech and hate crimes; whereas there has been a significant increase in anti-LGBTIQ hate crimes and hate speech in Europe, as well as a rise in discrimination and hatred against women; whereas multiple and intersectional discrimination is fertile ground for hate speech and crimes to occur; whereas targets of hate speech become increasingly excluded from society;

RemovedI. whereas the cross-border component of hate speech and hate crime is clear; whereas the digital transformation highlights the need to address this phenomenon at a European level;

AddedH. whereas the rise in discrimination and hatred is being exacerbated in many Member States by extremist and populist movements and the multiplier effect of the online environment and social media, which facilitate revictimisation; whereas this rise is leading to dangerous divisions in society as a whole and threatens democracy;

Change 4

ChangedJ.I. whereas the response of EUthere criminalis lawevidence tothat hate speech and hate crimehate-motivated shouldincidents becontinue strongto andbe proportionateunderreported in order to duly protect the victimEU, andwhich givemakes dueit weightdifficult to freedomquantify the extent of expression;the problem;

Change 5

RemovedK. whereas the fundamental right that is protected in the fight against hate speech and hate crime is human dignity; whereas such protection should be universal; whereas protection against intolerance, be it racial, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, ideology, age, opinion or any other personal, physical or social condition or circumstance, whatever its form of expression, must not be limited to certain grounds or motivations;

AddedJ. whereas media and journalists play a fundamental role in informing society and contributing to democratic processes;

RemovedL. whereas social dynamics change and can generate new motivations for hate speech and hate crime that have to be addressed by the common EU framework;

AddedK. whereas political discourse is increasingly characterised by hate speech; whereas election campaigns provide particularly fertile ground for hate speech and incitement to hatred, which affects not only the political sphere, but the functioning of society at large and deepens political polarisation; whereas hate speech towards women in public roles has reached an alarming level; whereas political leaders have a significant role and responsibility in the fight against hate speech and intolerance; whereas they should lead by example and publicly denounce instances of hate;

RemovedM. whereas in 2021, the Commission presented a communication on ‘A more inclusive and protective Europe: extending the list of EU crimes to hate speech and hate crime’ with a view to adding hate crime and hate speech to the list of areas of crime where Parliament and the Council may establish minimum rules concerning the definition of criminal offences and sanctions applicable in all EU Member States as provided for in Article 83(1) TFEU; whereas the Council must adopt a decision in this regard;

AddedL. whereas minors are particularly vulnerable victims of hate speech and hate crimes, including at schools or online, via cyberbullying; whereas such attacks endanger their physical and mental integrity and affect their development and physical and mental health; whereas particular attention must be paid to them;

Change 6

ChangedN.M. whereas this Councilthe decisionMember wouldStates bedo anot firstaddress stephate inspeech creatingand thehate necessarycrime legalin basisan toequal adopt,way asin atheir secondrespective step,criminal alaws, commonwhich legalleaves frameworkcertain togroups combatwith hateinsufficient speechprotection andin hatesome crimeparts acrossof the EU;Union; whereas suchthis amakes commonit legaldifficult frameworkto isdefine urgentlya neededcommon European approach to combat hate speech and hate crime on a common European basis in order tocrime; ensurewhereas consistentthe protectionlack of the potentiallegal victimsprotection ofcan suchhave actsdevastating acrossconsequences thefor Union;victims;

Change 7

AddedN. whereas the current EU framework only covers hate speech and hate crimes on the grounds of race, colour, religion, descent and national or ethnic origin; whereas there is currently no comprehensive common legal definition of hate speech and hate crime at the EU level; whereas there is a clear need to effectively address hate speech and hate crimes based on other grounds, such as sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sex characteristics, age, disability and any other fundamental characteristic, in particular those protected under Article 21 of the Charter, and any combination of these characteristics; whereas the EU must protect the most vulnerable in society; whereas particular attention should be given to identifying the persons, groups or communities most vulnerable to hate speech and hate crimes in order to avoid a negative impact on the protection of victims;

AddedO. whereas Article 83(1) TFEU establishes clear requirements for the inclusion of new areas of crime in the list of cross-border EU crimes; whereas the particular cross-border dimension of online hate speech is clear; whereas the digital transformation highlights the need to address this phenomenon at a European level; whereas there is a need to combat hate speech and hate crimes on a common basis and at the EU level; whereas the EU has the responsibility to act;

AddedP. whereas the response of EU criminal law to hate speech and hate crimes should be strong, proportionate and tailored to its purpose in order to duly protect the victim and give due weight to freedom of expression and freedom of information, which are cornerstones of democracy; whereas the EU should guarantee that any restrictions on freedom of expression to prevent and counter hate speech should not be misused by the competent authorities in the Member States to silence minorities or suppress criticism; whereas the European Court of Human Right’s judgments on freedom of expression must be respected when establishing protections against hate speech;

AddedQ. whereas the fundamental rights that are protected in the fight against hate speech and hate crimes are, foremost, human dignity and the principle of non-discrimination; whereas such protection should be universal; whereas protection against intolerance, be it racial or based on national origin, sexual orientation, religion, ideology, age, opinion or any other personal, physical or social condition or circumstance, whatever its form of expression, must not be limited only to certain grounds or motivations;