The Council of Europe is once again turning its attention to racial profiling in Italian law enforcement. Bertil Cottier, president of the European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), has recommended that the Italian government perform "an independent study as soon as possible" to examine the scope of the issue. ECRI Vice-President Tena Šimonović Einwalter expressed concern that police officers in numerous European countries halt individuals based on their skin color, ethnicity, or religion. According to the Vice-President, such behaviors "violate the fundamental values on which Europe is founded". Despite without identifying specific states in the 2024 annual report, Šimonović Einwalter said that "previous ECRI reports indicate that the problem is particularly frequent in Italy and France". In the face of significant challenges, expert Els Katsman pointed to the United Kingdom as an example of partial improvement. "Among the tools that help fight racial profiling", she clarified. "They have facilitated the collection of valuable data for in-depth studies and improved the behavior of officers." The Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, responded with a harsh tone, describing the European body's remarks as "shameful". "Accusing the Italian police of racism is an offensive act", she stated. "Our agents frequently operate in difficult settings and are attacked while performing their duties, including by illegal immigrants. This is not the first time that certain Council of Europe bodies, funded in part by Italian taxpayers, have indulged in ideological and baseless judgments".