BRUSSELS - European Union (EU) institutions have failed to create an inclusive culture for Europeans of colour and people with disabilities, according to the European Commission's first-ever survey on diversity, inclusion and respect at the workplace.

On average, respondents from an ethnic minority background are less likely than the overall average to work in the Commission, more likely to work in delegations, and less likely to be officials than the average (less than half compared to 63 percent for all respondents), says the survey.

Working for the EU institutions is no walk in the park for people of colour or with disability, with almost 60 percent of respondents from both categories saying they have observed or experienced discrimination.

Less than 30 percent of all respondents consider their organisation diverse in terms of the presence of people from an ethnic minority background or with a disability.

And staff members who self-identify as having ethnic minority backgrounds are particularly harsh regarding the racial or ethnic diversity within their organisation: 64 percent disagree that their workplace is diverse.

Work done to promote the diversity of ethnic and racial origin of staff is considered insufficient, with 55 percent of ethnic minority respondents expressing dissatisfaction.

Not surprisingly, therefore, almost a quarter of them say they have refrained from applying for a career opportunity, a situation similar to persons with disabilities.

More than a third of respondents say they would not report discrimination (for fear of negative consequences or because they think that no action will be taken).

Another 23 percent would not know how to report. For all its limitations, the survey represents modest progress for EU institutions which have traditionally rejected allegations of racism and insisted they are "colour blind".