MEPs URGE EUROPEAN COMMISSION TO HONOUR PLANS FOR NEW ANTI-DISCRIMINATION DIRECTIVE

9.35.00am UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 20th May 2008

The European Parliament is expected to adopt a report by local Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne later today which calls on the European Commission to honour its commitment to bring forward a comprehensive directive to outlaw discrimination in access to goods and services covering all areas presently excluded, including disability, age, religion or belief and sexual orientation.

The European Commission promised to bring forward proposals for the directive in its work programme for 2008 but some Member States have objected to this.

Speaking in the debate before the vote, Liz Lynne, Vice President of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, who also recently launched a public petition in support of a new directive, said:

"One of the reasons I have called for comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation in my report is because we must get away from the piecemeal approach. There can be no hierarchy of discrimination. A new directive must cover discrimination in access to goods and services on all grounds that have not yet been covered under Article 13 legislation. It should cover disability, age, religion or belief and sexual orientation. Race and gender are already covered, as is employment.

"I regret that although the Commissioner made a commitment to a comprehensive directive in its work programme for 2008, there appears to be some backtracking on this and the Commission might only bring forward legislation on disability and nothing else. This is not acceptable; hence my amendment.

"I have campaigned for years for Article 13 legislation on the grounds of disability and age and I am now convinced that we mustn't leave anyone behind. Anti-discrimination and human rights are the basis on which the European Union was founded; every EU citizen must be treated equally.

"We must give a signal to the Commission and Member States that we are committed to ending discrimination once and for all and put and end to the ridiculous idea that it is alright to discriminate against one section of society."

ENDS

Notes:

Text of the report: http://www.europarl.europa.eu/sides/getDoc.do?type=REPORT&mode=XML&reference=A6-2008-0159&language=EN

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

Transposition and implementation of the current directives of employment and race is patchy and there is a lack of information given to citizens about possible remedies in case of discrimination. Too often the individual victims of discrimination are the ones who are left to challenge discrimination on their own without the back-up of advocacy, support or the legal wherewithal to take legal proceedings and that has to change. Member States should ensure that victims of discrimination are automatically assisted in legal proceedings.

Liz Lynne's campaign and petition to persuade the Commission and member States to press ahead with a horizontal directive can be found here: www.signtostopdiscrimination.org