EU drops plan to ban Nazi, other hate symbols

The European Union dropped plans on Thursday to ban Nazi insignia and other symbols which could incite hatred, but decided to restart talks on proposals to harmonize anti-racism laws across the bloc.

The issue hit the headlines last month when Britain’s Prince Harry caused outrage by wearing a swastika armband and a Nazi costume at a fancy dress party, prompting EU lawmakers to demand a Europe-wide ban on Nazi symbols.

But EU justice and interior ministers meeting in Brussels did not want to include such a ban in proposals from the European Commission to harmonize national laws to better fight racism and xenophobia, Danish Justice Minister Lene Espersen said.

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“It is better to drop any discussion on that. It does not add any value to the proposals,” she told reporters. “It would only open a long debate on what symbols it should be.”

She said ministers had agreed to resume talks on the Commission’s plans to make public incitement to racist violence or hatred punishable with jail terms of no less than two years across the 25-nation bloc.

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The plans were proposed in 2001 but Italy’s center-right government has so far blocked a deal.

The only country in Europe which has banned the use of Nazi insignia is Germany. But France, for example, bars the sale of Nazi-related memorabilia.