24/01/2020

Question for written answer to the European Commission on the removal of text referring to activities inciting hatred and/or violence from the 2017 Annual Action Programme

In 2017, recognising the problematic phenomenon of some EU-funded Palestinian civil society organisations (CSOs) engaging in incitement to hatred, anti-Semitism, and even violence, the Commission incorporated a section of text in the 2017 Annual Action Programme in favour of Palestine specifically addressing the issue. In Annex II, Part 1 to Commission Implementing Decision C(2017)8656, the Commission states that ‘particular attention will however be paid to prevent that EU-supported Palestinian civil society organisations are also engaged in online and offline activities inciting to hatred and/or violence against the State of Israel, its citizens and/or Jews. Eligibility conditions of the calls for proposals to be launched under this action will include strict compliance with the EU Framework Directive on racism and xenophobia’.

However, in a subsequent version of the document [C(2017)8656/-] that was circulated, the text referring to activities inciting hatred and/or violence had been removed.

  • Why was the text removed?
  • Where did the decision to remove the text in question originate from?
  • Given the EU’s commitment to combating racism, particularly following the adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s definition of anti-Semitism, will the Commission incorporate this type of language in future documents related to EU funding for CSOs in Palestine?

Full text here

Answer given by Mr Várhelyi on behalf of the European Commission here