Tackling Hatred in Society Panel

Together, tackling hatred in society

Over three weekends, 150 randomly selected EU citizens engaged in discussions on how to tackle hatred in society. The outcome: Despite a sensitive theme and a risk of strong emotions and divisions, panellists had a constructive and respectful debate. Want to discover how their very personal insights led them to create 21 concrete recommendations to the European Commission? Watch here.

Results of the Panel and Follow-up

The 2023 Communication “No place for hate: a Europe united against hatred” calls for the creation of a pan-European space of dialogue to discuss ways to move from hatred and division to the shared enjoyment of our European values of equality, respect for human rights and dignity. The European Citizens’ Panel on Tackling Hatred in Society was one of the answers to that call.

The panel aimed to identify policy actions and all relevant players that should be involved at different levels, including decision-makers, civil society, the private sector and citizens.

EU Initiatives Following Citizens' Recommendations

The European Commission is working on several initiatives to respond to the citizens’ recommendations and enhance EU’s efforts to counter hatred and build a more inclusive and equal society. Here are some examples how:

Adoption of a new Code of conduct on countering illegal hate speech online
Include a specific research priority under the Horizon Europe Work Programme 2025 on understanding the impact of social inequalities on hatred, polarisation, and radicalisation.

In June 2025, citizens who participated in the panel will have the opportunity to join a feedback event where the European Commission will explain how it is going to implement the citizens’ recommendations by embedding them in present and future policy initiatives.

European Citizens’ Panel on Tackling Hatred in Society: Recommendations Delivered

Over three weekends, 150 randomly selected citizens representing all 27 EU Member States have been coming together to discuss the various causes and drivers of hatred in the EU and different fields of actions to address them.

Together, the citizens have put forward a series of recommendations that will contribute to shaping future EU laws and feed into upcoming Commission initiatives. You can find them within the document section below.

The 21 recommendations formulated by the citizens propose concrete ways to strengthen the response to hate crime and hate speech, create safe and inclusive spaces online and offline, and harness the potential of the media and digital tools to foster a culture of respect.

What can we do about hate and how can we enhance mutual respect in our societies?

According to several sources, Europe today is experiencing an alarming increase in hate speech and hate crime. All forms of hatred undermine society as a whole and threaten the foundations of our democracies. While free expression is a fundamental right and a cherished value in the EU, human rights law acknowledges that it must not be exploited to incite hatred and violence.

The European Citizens Panel on Tackling Hatred in Society brought together 150 randomly selected citizens to look at the root causes of hatred and the ways to address them, with the aim of producing recommendations on how to build bridges across fractured groups and communities.

The 2023 Communication “No Place for Hate: A Europe United against Hatred” by the European Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy proposes an increase in efforts to fight hatred in all its forms by reinforcing action across a variety of policies, including security, digital, education, culture and sport.

Timeline

The European Citizens’ Panel on Tackling Hatred in Society took place over three weekends between April and May 2024

5-7 April
Session 1 - Brussels
- Developing a common understanding of hatred by unpacking perceptions and testimonies surrounding hate
- Identifying causes and drivers of hate today
- Discussing potential fields of action in which hatred can be tackled in society
Recordings 7 April 2024
26-28 April
Session 2 - online
- Stocktake of Session 1 and refinement of ideas by theme and topic
- First phase of formulating recommendations
Recordings 26 April 2024 | 28 April 2024
17-19 May
Closing session - Brussels
- Drawing conclusions of debates and recommendations to the European Commission
- Explaining next steps – impact on policymaking and feedback moment
Recordings 17 May 2024 | 19 May 2024