Commission to scale down anti-discrimination proposal

The Commission's indication that the proposed directive would only include concrete measures against discrimination on the grounds of disability went down badly with the NGOs and MEPs that are engaged in the matter. 

UK Liberal MEP Liz Lynne, who is the Parliament's rapporteur for its own-initiative report on "Progress made in equal opportunities and non-discrimination in the EU," said: "Millions of individuals encounter discrimination every day. A comprehensive horizontal directive covering access to goods and services would tackle this discrimination and break down the barriers currently faced by so many." Lynne reacted by launching an on-line petition for a directive to outlaw all forms of discrimination. 

UK Green MEP Jean Lambert called the Commission's backtracking "a real blow to the protection of many groups experiencing discrimination in the European Union". Lambert deplored that while "the directive is being held back by the most conservative countries [...] those like the UK who have progressive laws on this issue have failed to push for protection across the EU".

In an Open Letter, Dutch Green MEP Kathalijne Buitenweg and UK Labour MEP Michael Cashman accused José Manuel Barroso of not holding on to promises he had given before he was elected Commission President: "A Commission spokesman said that we had to accept "political reality". Which reality? Your lack of courage? Maybe you expect that a general anti-discrimination Directive will be vetoed by unwilling member states? If so that is a hurdle that we have to jump over at a later stage. Without a proposal from the Commission, the national governments do not have to do anything and therefore you make life too easy for homophobic politicians in some capitals. If your predecessors had given up at the first sign of resistance, Europe would not have an internal market or be a front runner in environmental protection."

The Social Platform wrote another letter; this one to the heads of all three EU institutions. The NGO network reminded also reminded Barroso of his 2004 promise that "civil rights and an antidiscrimination approach will be top priorities for this Commission", adding that "one year before the end of his mandate and the European elections, the time has arrived to take the legal steps needed to promote equality for all in Europe". 

It called upon the EU to build on the legacy of the Race equality and Employment framework directives "to adopt new legal steps to protect all people from all forms of discriminations". 

Deborah Lambillotte, co-chair of the executive board of the European Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA-Europe), reminded European decision-makers "that the principles of human rights and equality are the basis upon which the current Commission was approved by the European Parliament four years ago," adding that "the Commission needs to live up to its promises, deliver such a directive and prove that the commitments made in 2004 were not just empty words".

European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) General Secretary John Monks said: "A broad directive covering all the grounds mentioned in Article 13 of the Treaty would give a strong message to the Member States of the EU and their citizens that we cannot build a modern and cohesive society on discrimination." 

He added: "With the ageing of our populations, the growing diversity of our societies in terms of ethnic origin and religion, and the increasing intolerance against people because of their different sexual orientations, a strong and coherent body of law - protecting all our citizens from discrimination wherever they are in the EU – should be the priority target. Limiting the initiative now to disability leaves other grounds uncovered in the foreseeable future by EU-wide standards."