Commission and Belgian Council Presidency launch the 12th Meeting of the High Level Group on combating hate speech and hate crime

On 12th and 13th June 2024, the Commission and the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU jointly organise the 12th meeting of the High Level Group on combating hate speech and hate crime. The High Level Group is a policy forum made of national authorities, international organisations, EU agencies, and EU-wide civil society organisations. The objective of the 12th meeting of the High Level Group is to discuss about data and measures needed to respond to online hate speech, and to create a space for dialogue and exchange between national authorities from the Member States and a delegation of the European Citizens Panel on tackling hatred in society, which took place between April and May 2024. In particular, it will be an opportunity for citizens to present their 21 recommendations, which they submitted to the European Commission. Together with the European Citizens’ Panel, this high level event builds up on the call by the Joint Communication of 6th December 2023 on “No Place for Hate" to create a pan-European space of dialogue and reconciliation, to heal from hatred and division and share a common ownership of the European values of equality, dignity, and respect for human rights.