Addressing the European Jewish Congress, President Juncker said: "Never again! This was the solemn promise of our founding fathers when they rebuilt this continent on the debris of WWII and the ashes of the Shoah. Since those dark days Europe has come a long way: we have enshrined European values, democracy and fundamental rights in our Treaties. They are the foundation of our Union and our institutions. These values are not a given, we need to defend them every day - especially in difficult times. (…) We must counter the dangerous rise of extremism, racism, xenophobia, nationalism and antisemitism."

President Juncker outlined Commission's concrete actions to counter racism, xenophobia and extremism. They include the Framework Decision on combating racism and xenophobia by means of criminal justice, which among other things, criminalises Holocaust denial. To date, only 13 out of 28 Member States have implemented it. The Commission calls on the remaining Member States to join the ranks. This is all the more relevant with the rising number of attacks on synagogues or Jewish schools, as well as debates on the advisability of wearing the kippah in public.

At the training organised for Commission officials on Holocaust remembrance and fundamental rights, Commissioner for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality Věra Jourová, said:   "Holocaust Remembrance is part of our collective European memory. It remains a powerful reminder that only with respect for differences and reconciliation we built the European Union as we know it and will shape the EU of the future. Today we have a robust system in place to protect fundamental rights at the national, European and international levels. But we can't take anything for granted. The attacks against Jews and other minorities remind us that now more than ever we must stand up to safeguard the values that lay the foundations of the European Union: respect for life, fundamental rights and freedoms." .

The Commissioner also opened the Roma Memory exhibition at the Berlaymont, to commemorate the hundreds of thousands of Roma victims of the Holocaust.

Actions organised by the Commission on Holocaust Remembrance Day

As part of the Holocaust Remembrance Day, the Commission has organised three key events:

• A training seminar for EU officials from all EU institutions - It focuses on Holocaust Remembrance, as well as on the importance of fundamental rights as a guiding principle throughout EU officials' work.
• An exhibition on "The Roma Genocide During WWII" - Organised under the Europe for Citizens' programme,this event will take place at Commission's Berlaymont Headquarters, and will include unique testimonies from Holocaust survivors.
• Simultaneous screenings of the film "Son of Saul" -Co-organised together with the European Parliament, the screening takes place in Brussels (Bozar), as well as in Bratislava, Zagreb, Warsaw and Ljubljana, and will begin with a live-stream debate between European Parliament President, Martin Schulz and the film's actor, Geza Rohrig.