Weekly demonstrations of the controversial PEGIDA movement (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident) were gaining in popularity in different German cities during end of 2014 until end of January 2015. Deaths at the offices of satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo and the murdering at Hyper Cacher, a Jewish supermarket, during the second week of January 2015 revealed the reality of Antisemitism and led to higher levels of Islamophobia in many European countries. Obviously discrimination and racism are important issues in Europe. But what do these events stand for? How extended are discrimination and racism in Europe? In this article, first the historical background and development of the European formal non-discrimination framework in its legal and institutional aspects is described. Then the most important official and scientific data sources for studying discrimination in the EU are presented and discussed. After that the current situation of racism and discrimination in the EU is presented based on the most recent and comprehensive related studies. Finally, some trends and challenges for further research will be outlined.
Discrimination; Racism; Europe; Anti-discrimination policies