UN rapporteur urges EU to strengthen protection of minority rights within bloc

GENEVA

The EU must adopt "bolder and more effective measures" to protect minority rights within its own borders, a UN special rapporteur said on Wednesday, warning of a gap between the bloc’s external advocacy and its internal practices.

"The European Union is instrumental in advocating for minority rights outside its borders … but lacks the tools and motivation to effectively address minority issues within the bloc,” Nicolas Levrat, the rapporteur on minority issues, said in a statement at the end of his visit to the EU. “This gap must be closed to guarantee better protection of minorities within the EU.”

Levrat said respect for minority rights is "one of the founding values of the EU," but noted that the European Commission does not recognize a clear EU competence in the area, preventing the bloc from adopting binding legislation to directly protect minorities. Instead, he said, the EU should develop mechanisms that compel member states to uphold these values.

While welcoming the EU’s anti-discrimination framework, Levrat urged the European Commission to adopt a “more comprehensive framework for minority rights,” warning that linguistic minorities are currently excluded from EU strategies and policies.

He also expressed concern about the lack of diversity within EU institutions, saying minorities, particularly racialized and ethnic minorities, remain "severely underrepresented" despite recent efforts to address the issue.

"The EU's workforce remains far from representative of the diversity found within the EU," he said, urging institutions to accelerate recruitment and retention of staff from minority backgrounds.

Levrat welcomed the EU’s newly adopted anti-racism strategy and said he would present a full report to the Human Rights Council in March 2027.