Council of Europe recommends that Romania implement system to monitor racist, anti-LGBTI incidents

Council of Europe, a continent-wide humanitarian organization, recommends that Romania put in place a national system of monitoring racist and anti-LGBTI incidents in schools.

The recommendations come as the Council of Europe’s anti-racism body, the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, published several reports, including on Romania, regarding policies and practices to prevent and combat racist and anti-LGBTI hate speech, hate crimes, and discrimination of groups in situations of vulnerability.

In its report on Romania, the institution makes 15 recommendations in total. It notably recommends, as a matter of priority, that the authorities put in place a national system of monitoring racist and anti-LGBTI incidents in schools and that they gather gender disaggregated data on such incidents, including on reasons for bullying behaviour.

It also recommends that they develop, within the next two years, a legal framework that explicitly regulates the conditions and procedures for legal gender recognition and establishes clear guidelines for the provision of gender-affirming healthcare.

Romania has progressed since the last report, in 2019, the Council of Europe officials say. The functions and powers of the National Council for Combating Discrimination are largely in line with ECRI´s general recommendations for equality bodies, but its financial and human resources remain insufficient. There has also been progress in promoting inclusive education and establishing a procedure for handling cases of school violence, including bullying and cyberbullying.

Efforts to improve the inclusion of Roma have continued, including initiatives to regularise informal settlements and the adoption of new legislation to prohibit school segregation. Hate speech laws and crimes have also been approached in a more coordinated manner.

However, ECRI expresses concern about several issues. Bullying is reportedly a widespread and serious problem in schools. Aspects related to sexual orientation, gender identity, and sex characteristics are not included in school curricula.

Moreover, same-sex couples still do not enjoy any legal recognition. The legal framework does not clearly define the conditions and procedures for legal gender recognition, and there are no specific guidelines for providing gender-affirming healthcare.