Meeting With the European Commission
Against Racism and Intolerance

October 24, 2003

On October 24, 2003, representatives from RAINBOW, as well as from the Greek Committee of the European Bureau of Lesser Used Languages, (EBLUL) met with a delegation from the European Commission Against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) in Athens. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the situation as regards racism and intolerance in Greece and the implementation of the recommendations set down in ECRI's second report on Greece. RAINBOW had previously met with the ECRI in 1999.

The ECRI's delegation was composed of Ms Raluca Besteliu, ECRI member in respect of Romania, Mr. Roger Linster, ECRI member in respect of Luxembourg and Ms Claudia Sciotti, member of ECRI's Secretariat.

In the framework of its second round of country-by-country reports, ECRI published its second report on Greece in March 2000. ECRI is now starting its third round of country-by-country reports, which will again cover all member States of the Council of Europe and will take place over five years (January 2003 - December 2007), with the aim of producing a minimum of nine individual country-by-country reports annually.

As was the case for the second round of country-by-country reports, prior to the preparation of its third report, ECRI will carry out a contact visit in the country in question in order to collect the necessary information from public bodies and institutions but also from the non-governmental sector and from civil society.

The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) is an independent human rights monitoring mechanism which was established by the first Summit of Heads of State and Government of the member States of the Council of Europe (October 1993). ECRI's task is to combat racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism and intolerance at the pan-European level and in the perspective of the protection of human rights.