Chapter 3. The Council of Europe religion, language, sexual orientation and gender identity), xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance in Europe.661 It monitors these in the member states of the CoE and works on general issues, notably through the development of General Policy Recommendations. ECRI has issued such recommendations for instance with regard to combating anti-Gypsyism and discrimination against Roma662, and on safeguarding irregularly present migrants from discrimination.663 It is considered a “unique and particularly successful European human rights monitoring mechanism” in view of its examination of local developments and specific recommendations and dialogue with states, as well as its influence on broader CoE work on these topics.664 None of ECRI’s General Policy Recommendations concern statelessness or nationality matters, but they contribute towards the bigger question of inclusion of people (with or without nationality) in society. In its country monitoring reports, the issue of statelessness is addressed though. In the ECRI country report on Estonia, the reduction of the number of stateless people is considered for instance: “In its 4th report, ECRI recommended that the Estonian authorities continue the measures taken thus far to reduce the number of stateless persons, in full consultation with representatives of the persons concerned. As seen above, the number of people with undetermined citizenship has continually fallen over the past five years, as a result of the 2008–2013 integration policy. ECRI notes that while, as acknowledged by representatives of stateless persons, the authorities engaged in broad consultation with the latter when drawing up the new 2020 strategy, this was not sufficiently the case in the implementation of the 2008–2013 strategy as evidenced by the fact that various practical problems persist, for example with regard to the language tests for acquisition of nationality, and the review of language requirements in connection with a particular job.”665 ECRI goes on to refer back to recommendations made on language testing and language requirements. Preventing and solving statelessness, and the way in which such measures are implemented, in particular as regards minorities such as the Russian ethnic minority (non-citizens) in Estonia, can thus be subject to scrutiny of ECRI. 661 662 663 664 665 See also CoE, ‘ECRI – European Commission against Racism and Intolerance’ (2019) <https://rm.coe. int/leaflet-ecri-2019/168094b101> accessed 28 May 2021. ECRI General Policy Recommendation No. 13 (revised) on Combating Anti-Gypsyism and Discrimination against Roma (adopted on 24 June 2011 and amended on 1 December 2020) <https:// www.coe.int/en/web/european-commission-against-racism-and-intolerance/recommendation-no.13> accessed 28 May 2021. ECRI General Policy Recommendation No. 16 on Safeguarding Irregularly Present Migrants from Discrimination – adopted on 16 March 2016 <https://www.coe.int/en/web/european-commissionagainst-racism-and-intolerance/recommendation-no.16> accessed 28 May 2021. Lanna Yael Hollo, ‘The European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI)’ in Gauthier de Beco (ed), Human Rights Monitoring Mechanisms of the Council of Europe (Routledge Research in Human Rights Law, Routledge 2013) 127–149, 127. ECRI, ‘ECRI Report on Estonia (Fift h Monitoring Cycle)’, CRI(2015)36, para 85–86 <https://rm.coe. int/fi ft h-report-on-estonia/16808b56f1> accessed 28 May 2021. Intersentia 125