Letter: Europe must act against racism

Sir: I read with great interest the letter of Ann Dummett (1 January) about the European Year against racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism.

Effective and comprehensive measures to guarantee equal treatment for all residents of the Union are urgently needed. For instance, a British citizen who is refused housing on the basis of his or her race in another member state should be entitled to redress on the basis of a right contained in the Treaty. The citizen's right to live in that other member state derives from the Treaty. The exercise of that right in dignity must equally be protected by the Treaty.

The suggestion, as I understand it, of the UK government that such measures should be taken intergovernmentally is not acceptable. The reports of the European Commission and Parliament have been scathing about the ineffectiveness of the Union's intergovernmental pillar, which lacks an appropriate implementation mechanism and judicial certainty.

ELSPETH GUILD

London E8