The European Union, long seen as a global advocate for human rights, is under scrutiny for failing to protect minority communities within its own borders, a United Nations expert warned today. Nicolas Levrat, the UN Special Rapporteur on minority issues, emphasized that while the EU promotes minority rights in its enlargement policy and external relations, it lacks effective mechanisms to guarantee the same protections at home.
Levrat highlighted a troubling disconnect between the EU’s external advocacy and its internal policies. “The European Union is instrumental in advocating for minority rights outside its borders, especially through its enlargement policy, but lacks the tools and motivation to effectively address minority issues within the bloc. This gap must be closed to guarantee better protection of minorities within the EU,” he said at the conclusion of his visit to Brussels.
The Special Rapporteur noted that respect for minority rights is a founding value of the EU, yet the absence of a clear legal competence prevents the Commission from adopting binding laws or policies specifically safeguarding minority groups. As a solution, Levrat urged the EU to encourage Member States to uphold these core values more proactively, ensuring that internal protections align with its external rhetoric.
While praising the EU’s current anti-discrimination framework, which addresses issues faced by migrants and other minority groups, Levrat called for a more comprehensive approach that explicitly includes linguistic minorities, who are largely overlooked in existing EU strategies. He also encouraged extending the EU’s support for minority-focused civil society initiatives, currently directed toward third countries, to domestic organizations working to protect minority rights.
Levrat raised particular concern about the lack of diversity within EU institutions. Despite ongoing efforts, racialized and ethnic minorities remain significantly underrepresented across the EU’s workforce, including agencies, bodies, and decision-making positions. “The EU’s workforce remains far from representative of the diversity found within the EU,” he said, urging a more decisive recruitment and retention strategy to ensure minority participation at all levels.
The Special Rapporteur welcomed the EU’s recently adopted anti-racism strategy but called on Member States to confront the lingering effects of Europe’s colonial past on racialized communities. He stressed that recognition and accountability are crucial to building a truly inclusive union.
Levrat will present a comprehensive report detailing his findings and recommendations to the UN Human Rights Council in March 2027, putting the spotlight on the EU’s internal commitment to the values it so prominently promotes abroad.
