Legal Protections Lag Behind Rising Discrimination in the EU
Insights | New Stardom
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Reported discrimination in the European Union has increased sharply over the past four years, yet many of the people most affected still lack consistent legal protection. That’s the core finding of a new OECD report released this week, which assesses how effectively EU member states are addressing racial, ethnic, religious, and identity-based discrimination.
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According to the OECD’s 2025 policy review, the share of EU residents reporting discrimination rose from 15% in 2019 to 21% in 2023. While most member states now have frameworks to address racial and disability-based discrimination, protections for LGBTI people, religious minorities, and ethnic groups remain uneven and in some cases absent.
The result is a gap between who is protected on paper and who is most exposed in daily life. For example, the report shows that ethnic minorities and religious communities consistently report the highest levels of discrimination—but these groups are less likely to benefit from targeted national policies or access to justice mechanisms.
In some countries, LGBTI people are not covered by national anti-discrimination laws at all, even as public hostility or institutional barriers persist. The OECD also found that victims of discrimination often lack clear routes to redress, especially when incidents occur outside the workplace.
While EU-level directives set a minimum standard, national governments are responsible for enforcement. According to the report, legal gaps persist not because of a lack of principles, but because of limited implementation, poor oversight, and political hesitation.
The OECD is now calling on member states to align legal frameworks with the actual experiences of their populations. That includes expanding legal coverage, improving enforcement mechanisms, and ensuring that national strategies address all at-risk groups—not just those with established lobbying visibility.
Source:
OECD, Combatting Discrimination in the European Union: Policy Approaches and Gaps, July 2025.
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