FRA in the news

The Hindu reports that the EU is calling for action to counter discrimination and violence against homosexuals after the FRA survey revealed many LGBT people are living in fear in the EU.
Most of the homosexuals are concealing their sexual orientation
Die Zeit online reports that according to the FRA LGBT study a majority of LGBT people are concealing their sexual orientation / identity
Retention of PNR data from abroad
The European Parliament has rejected the proposal of the European Commission on the use of air travel Passenger Name Record (PNR) data. Critics, such as the European Data Protection Supervisor and the European Agency for Fundamental Rights, have seen a risk to the protection of passenger’s data.
The Government wants to double the maximum ceiling of fines for racial discrimination
A law amendment proposed by the Portuguese government on racial discrimination draws on Fundamental Rights Agency’s findings on victims of discrimination and non-reporting, reports Portuguese daily newspaper Público.
Morten Kjaerum: Roma and the majority population can both benefit when you involve them
FRA Director speaks to Euractiv during his recent visit to Slovakia. He explains what the Fundamental Rights Agency does and how it can help Slovak authorities deal with the human rights challenges they are faced with by calling on FRA data and expertise.
Adriano Silvestri, the main author of the EU’s southern sea borders report, underlines the principle of non-refoulement and calls for better training of border guards and organisations. FRA’s expert also stresses the importance of cooperation with third countries the amount of risks that migrants take in their effort to reach Europe and the need of a better use of Eurosur system, reports Europolitics.
Europeans, still islamophobes
FRA Director refers to the wealth that minorities may bring to societies, not only in terms of diversity, but also of economic growth. He further comments that discrimination could also be a consequence of the economic crisis, the latter of which, however, should not become an excuse of not fighting against racism and prejudice, reports La Libre.
Member States should balance privacy rights and access to documents says FRA’s expert on data protection Mario Oetheimer to EU Observer. Such a national balance should be clearly reflected in the EU regulation.
New Europe reports from the PICUM Conference in Brussels where, FRA expert, Maria Amor Martin Estebanez highlighted the agency’s research on the migrant children’s access to education, healthcare and housing.
Opendemocracy.net reports that in a recent FRA study, as many as one in four Roma (in the Czech Republic, Greece and Poland), Somalis (in Finland and Denmark), and Africans (in Malta and Ireland), said they had experienced hate-motivated violence or serious harassment in the previous 12 months.
Technology interferes with human rights
Slovenian daily Dnevnik writes about the fundamental rights risks of the planned EU border surveillance system EUROSUR. Adriano Silvestri, head of FRA’s research into asylum, migration and borders, discusses the potential advantages and disadvantages of the system with the newspaper.
Europe’s long path to equality
Article in Zeit online reports that while France is amending its laws to allow homosexual couples to marry, research by FRA and other organisations shows that prejudice and discrimination are still widespread in many EU countries.
"National authorities have to act"
The Fundamental Rights Agency can support national authorities in taking action against antisemitism and racism, FRA Director Morten Kjaerum tells Austrian newspaper Kurier.
Opinion article in the English version of Kathimerini about hate crime and its impact on victims, their families and society at large. The article emphasises the need to record, investigate and prosecute such offences, and describes the role of international organisations such as FRA and the OSCE in combatting bias-motivated crimes.
Do not turn a blind eye to hate crimes
Opinion article in Spanish daily newspaper El Pais about hate crime and its impact on victims, their families and society at large. The article emphasises the need to record, investigate and prosecute such offences, and describes the role of international organisations such as FRA and the OSCE in combatting bias-motivated crimes.
Children without papers: the right to attend school
This series of documentaries show the life of a fragmented Eritrean refugee family living in hiding in Sweden. The possibility of continuous schooling has been virtually non-existent for the sons of the family, which through the long flight lost many years of training. FRA Director Morten Kjaerum and FRA expert on the rights of irregular migrants Ann-Charlotte Nygard provide expertise knowledge on the situation of undocumented children in the EU and their right to education to better protect human rights.
In an interview in the “Times of Malta”, the FRA Director speaks about justice and human rights particularly focusing on the need for a judicial reform, which will mean adapting law courts to the digital age.
Report on the debate held on 13 December 2012 at the European Parliament. The discussion focused on the proposal by the European Commission to accord FRA more powers to scrutinise the performance of EU countries in judicial co-operation.
Our interest is in the protection of human rights and not in the opinion of political leaders
In an interview with the Slovenian newspaper Dnevnik, the Director of FRA talks about the situation of Roma in Europe, asylum, migration, minorites in Slovenia, the Management Board of FRA, FRA’s work and its independent role vis-a vis the Member States and the political leaders.
Roadmap on Equal Treatment
The European Parliament has published a study that includes a potential equality EU Roadmap for LGBT people. The European Parliament is now awaiting the results of the survey of the Fundamental Rights Agency on the situation of LGBT people in the European Union and Croatia, which will be available in the first half of 2013.
The Visit of the Director of Fundamental Rights Agency
The FRA Director and the Slovenian Human Rights Ombudsman agreed on the need of a national human rights institution especially during the current period of crisis, when the rights of vulnerable groups (such as children rights) are most in danger.
Threatened democracy and human rights in the EU in the future?
Seminar on EU developments for limited press freedom in some countries, discrimination against minorities and the growth of estrema political parties as transmitted by Swedish television program SVT Forums. Includes speech given by FRA Director, Morten Kjaerum at 141 mins.
"EU-Agentur nimmt Stellung" ("The EU Fundamental Rights Agency takes position). Published in the printed version of Kurier, 17 September 2012, page 11. In reaction to Kurier’s article “Buch nimmt Strache ins Visier”, the EU Fundamental Rights Agency presents its role and its work on the area of Anti-Semitism.
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