91997E2755

WRITTEN QUESTION E-2755/97 by Hilde Hawlicek (PSE) to the Commission (1 September 1997)

Subject: Follow-up to European Year Against Racism

With reference to the final declaration of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ), the European Newspaper Publishers Association and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that they would work together to combat racism, what are the Commission's present thoughts on how to follow up European Year Against Racism in order to strengthen joint campaigns in the media and other areas?

Answer given by Mr Flynn on behalf of the Commission (27 September 1997)

As with other areas, the Commission intends to continue its work with the media on anti-racism issues well beyond 1997.

The Commission welcomes the declaration made by the International federation of journalists (IFJ), the European newspaper publishers association (ENPA) and the European broadcasting union (EBU), all of which are playing an active part in the year against racism. The IFJ in particular is running several projects supported by the Commission, notably the international prize for young journalists and the conferences on 'prime time for tolerance' and 'media and the challenge of intolerance'. The Commission is also supporting a project entitled 'saga cities', which is an exchange of television programmes on the subject of ethnic minorities in cities throughout Europe, and involves members of the European broadcasting union's multicultural exchange group.

For the European year, the Commission is working with key media such as MTV, TV 5 and Eurosport and discussions will be held with them concerning future projects.

Several other pan-European media projects are being supported under the European year against racism budget, but a great deal of the funding for media actions comes from budget lines B3-4110 and B3-4114 which may continue after the European year.

The experts group for the European year against racism, of which the chairman of the IFJ is a member, will be consulted on future action. A representative of the Commission is a member of the board of the IMRAX group, a Europe-wide coalition of journalists, editors, publishers, broadcasters and media experts dedicated to promoting high standards of journalism concerned with reporting on matters of race, tolerance and multiculturalism.