(Brussels) Today “we may take the presence of the Jewish communities in Europe for granted. But 74 years after the end of the Shoah, we know it is not a given. Further efforts are needed to counter anti-Semitism”, and the European Commission has taken several initiatives to this end. Commissioner Vera Jourová, in charge of Justice, said this expressing concern for some violent acts and episodes that have even recently occurred in Europe, ahead of Remembrance Day. Commenting on the results of the Eurobarometer survey published today, she said: “The results of the survey show that there is a perception gap on anti-Semitism: while 89% of Jews say that anti-Semitism has significantly increased over the past 5 years, only 36% of the general public consider it has increased”. On average, only 4 in 10 Europeans think the Holocaust is sufficiently taught in schools. 34% of respondents are not aware of laws “criminalising Holocaust denial in their country”. Holocaust Remembrance Day marks the day when, 74 years ago, the Allied Forces liberated the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland. To mark the occasion, the First Vice-President of the Commission, Frans Timmermans, will visit the Auschwitz-Birkenau Nazi concentration camp, where he will lay a wreath in front of the Death Wall and light a candle in memory of the victims.