Large gaps in data collection on antisemitism by EU member states continue to hinder the fight against anti-Jewish hate crime, an EU agency says.
Antisemitism remains a serious concern and demands decisive and targeted policy responses, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) said on Tuesday with the release of its annual report, titled “Antisemitism: Summary overview of data available in the European Union 2005-2015.”
“Greater efforts need to be made to counter underreporting,” the FRA stated.
“Not only do victims and witnesses need to be encouraged to report antisemitic incidents, but the authorities need to have systems in place that would record such incidents.”
While acknowledging that steps in the right direction are being made, the agency said continued and sustained efforts are required at the national, European and international levels, as well as in civil society, to improve data collection on all hate crime.
Despite the serious consequences of antisemitism, particularly for Jewish populations, a consistent and uniform method of recording antisemitism across EU member states is still sorely lacking, making it difficult to collect adequate official data, the agency said. “The inadequate recording of hate-crime incidents, including those of an antisemitic nature, coupled with victims’ hesitance to report incidents to the authorities, contributes to the gross under-reporting of the extent, nature and characteristics of the antisemitic incidents that occur in the EU,” it said.
