Statement by Vice-President Schinas on the Council Declaration on fighting Antisemitism

The European Commission welcomes yesterday’s unanimous approval of a Council declaration mainstreaming the fight against antisemitism across all policy areas. Margaritis Schinas, Vice-President for Promoting our European Way of Life, issued the following statement: “Europe stands firm against all forms of antisemitism. Jewish life is and always will be part of European societies and our way of life. The Member States’ commitment taken today once more reaffirms this fact. I welcome this declaration, which aims to raise awareness across all policy levels in order to prevent and fight antisemitism. Today’s Council Declaration recognises, with great concern, the rise in threats towards Jewish people – both online and offline. It calls for much needed decisive actions. It reiterates that Member States have a duty to ensure the security of Jewish communities and institutions. It also acknowledges the importance of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism as a guiding tool for better identifying and addressing this scourge. I call on Member States to follow up on this commitment with concrete actions. The Commission is determined to continue addressing antisemitism holistically. To this effect, we will present a comprehensive EU Strategy on combating against antisemitism in 2021, to complement and support Member States’ efforts.” More information on the Commission’s work on tackling Antisemitism can be found online.