MEPS WELCOME EUROPEAN COMMISSION'S PLANS FOR NEW ANTI-DISCRIMINATION DIRECTIVE

5.26.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Wed 2nd Apr 2008

The European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee today backed plans by the European Commission to bring forward a horizontal directive to extend anti-discrimination laws in access to goods and services to cover all areas presently excluded including disability, age, sexual orientation and religion.

Current EU antidiscrimination laws outlaw discrimination in the workplace on all grounds (Employment Directive 2000) but only provide protection against discrimination in access to goods and services on the basis of gender and race (Equal Treatment Directive and the Race Directive respectively).

Liz Lynne MEP (ALDE, UK), Vice-President of the Committee and author of the report said:

"Antidiscrimination and human rights are the fundamental principles of the European Union and it is vital that the millions of people currently excluded from antidiscrimination legislation in access to goods and services, such as disabled people and older people, are given the equal rights they are entitled to as European Citizens.

"A comprehensive horizontal directive outlawing discrimination in goods and services is vital in tackling the discrimination that millions of EU citizens encounter everyday, whether that is in access to shops, transport, the use of information technology or the provision of financial services."

"But as well as ensuring equal citizenship, I believe the legislation we are calling for will actually open up markets for businesses and will not be the burden some employers organisations would have us believe."

"There are of course some difficult areas, but these I believe can be addressed during the drafting of legislation, Antidiscrimination is too important not to take this forward.

"The decision by a number of EPP-ED MEP's to rule out any further legislation and to vote against this report suggests their commitment to fundamental rights is skin deep."

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

A copy of Liz Lynne's draft report, subject to a vote today in the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, can be found here: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meetdocs/2004_2009/organes/empl/empl_20080401_1500.htm and then by scrolling to agenda item 4/13 - PR - Lynne and clicking on the EN (English) version).

The amended report was adopted this morning by a majority with 29 MEPs in favour and 19 against, with 2 abstentions. The report now proceeds to a plenary session in Strasbourg where it will be voted on by the whole European Parliament.

The European Commission made a commitment in its 2008 legislative work programme to complete the anti-discrimination package and bring forward a horizontal directive outlawing discrimination in access to goods and services on all remaining grounds under Article 13 of the EC Treaty.