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Four new reports issued today by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) give evidence that data protection authorities, equality bodies and national human rights institutions across the European Union are in need of additional support.

Racism and xenophobia continue to affect the day to day lives of a significant number of people within the European Union warned the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights today in a joint statement with the OSCE's Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and the Council of Europe's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI).

On the 18 and 19 February, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) hosted a meeting to discuss its upcoming report on racism and ethnicdiscrimination in sport. The meeting brought together representatives from international sporting organisations such as UEFA, the European Basketball Federation (FIBA), the European Athletics Association and the European Olympic Committee, members of national sporting organisations and delegates from the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. The participants discussed the report's draft recommendations and suggested ways in which the recommendations should be prioritised and implemented.

The European Court of Human Rights and the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights will join forces to work on a year-long joint project aimed at increasing the knowledge and domestic implementation of EU law and other legal instruments in the field of non-discrimination.

The Management Board of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) held elections at their 8th Meeting that took place in Vienna on 14 and 15 December 2009. The Management Board elected Ilze Brands Kehris (Latvia) as its new Chairperson and re-elected Hannes Tretter (Austria) as Vice-Chairperson. Ilze Brands Kehris: "The decade that started with 9/11 and is now ending with the effects of the economic crisis shows that there is no room for complacency with regard to the respect for human rights within the EU.  The FRA's capacity to provide EU institutions and Member States with expertise on fundamental rights, based on analysis of data collected in all 27 Member States, can and should make an important contribution to the formulation of more effective evidence-based policies respectful of fundamental rights within the FRA competences.  It is a great privilege to be elected chairperson of the Management Board of the FRA and in this capacity to participate with the excellent FRA team in the further development of the FRA's work, including cooperation with the Council of Europe, IGOs, civil society and other stakeholders."Hannes Tretter: "I am honoured to be re-elected as member of a very strong and competent team. We are facing now - beside various threats like increasing racism or misuse of personal data and lacks of access to justice - a challenging period since the Treaty of Lisbon opens the door for FRA to deal in future also with the sensitive issues of the former third pillar."

The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) releases on 9 December the results of its survey of over 23,000 individuals from ethnic minority and immigrant groups about their experiences of discrimination, racist crime, and policing in the EU. The results reveal shocking evidence about the discrimination faced by minorities in everyday life; in the classroom, when looking for work, at the doctor's, or in shops. On the eve of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion, the FRA calls for targeted policies to combat the marginalisation of these groups.

Co-chaired by Jacques Barrot and Luc Van Den Brande, Rights of the Child will be the focus of a joint Committee of the Regions (CoR) and European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) conference in Brussels on 13 November. The conference takes place as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child celebrates its 20th Anniversary and the Lisbon Treaty begins its journey to make children's rights legally binding in the EU, as enshrined in the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.  The important question to be addressed is how such texts make a difference on the ground.