MOTION FOR A RESOLUTION
26.2.2008
by Philip Claeys, Frank Vanhecke and Koenraad Dillen
on the proliferation of reports subsidised by the European Union on racism, discrimination and 'Islamophobia'
B6‑0105/2008
Motion for a European Parliament resolution on the proliferation of reports subsidised by the European Union on racism, discrimination and 'Islamophobia'
The European Parliament,
– having regard to Rule 113 of its Rules of Procedure,
A. whereas in recent months ENAR, Raxen and the Fundamental Rights Agency have all produced reports of their own on racism, discrimination and/or 'Islamophobia',
B. whereas in various respects these reports failed to apply academic methodology (for example in 2006 the EUMC performed a study of discrimination without defining that term, or trends are alleged to exist without any objective statistics being produced in support of the assertion),
C. whereas these reports often bear the hallmarks of an unambiguous political agenda (some political parties are attacked; it is advocated that aliens should have the right to vote and/or that the status of illegal immigrants should be regularised, etc.),
D. whereas the various reports reach more or less the same conclusions, which means that there is duplication of effort with absolutely no added value,
1. Calls upon the Commission to encourage the above bodies, if necessary by halting or reducing subsidies:
- -to coordinate their studies better and if necessary work together to avoid duplication of effort,
- -to avoid adopting political positions,
- -to use only rigorous academic methods in their analyses.