Parliament backs calls for EU anti-discrimination law

In the Parliament debate on 20 May 2008, UK Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne, who was the rapporteur for the report, justified her call for an integrated approach to combating discrimination: "We must move away from the piecemeal approach, there can be no hierarchy of discrimination.  A new directive must cover discrimination to access and services on all grounds that have not been covered as yet under Article 13 legislation: disability, age, religion or belief and sexual orientation."

In spite of the fact that the Womens' Rights Committee was the lead committee for her report, Lynne said that a new directive should cover neither gender nor race and employment, because those "are already covered" by EU directives. 

She warned the EU executive: "The Commission made the commitment to a comprehensive directive in its work programme for 2008. There appears to be some backtracking on this and they might only bring forward legislation on disability and nothing else. This is not acceptable. Every EU citizen must be treated equally."

EPP-ED MEP Edit Bauer said: "It is necessary that political culture and tolerance is present in the workplace, in public life, communication, from national to local level in our everyday lives." 

She added, however: "It is a fact [...] that there is a real gap in European legislation, namely between Article 13 of the Treaty and existing Directives. The EPP-ED Group believes that closing this gap by a comprehensive but less effective Directive which will not be properly implemented is not the right solution. The Group considers that the most compelling challenge is to first combat the discrimination of the 84 million disabled people living in the EU, representing about 17% of the total population, by a European Directive to ensure equal rights for them throughout the Union."

Social NGO alliance Social Platform stressed that "more than 90% of respondents to the Commission's public consultation believe that there should be protection from discrimination on the grounds covered by Article 13 in education, social protection, housing, health care or when buying goods or pay for services". It added that "63% of the businesses included in the European Business Test Panel believe that it matters if there are different levels of protection between the EU member states".  

Social Platform President Conny Reuter supported the Parliament's call for a comprehensive directive: "Mr. Barroso has made an antidiscrimination approach a top priority for the Commission. With one year of his mandate left, we keenly anticipate that this will be translated into action, delivering comprehensive legal protection banning discrimination on all grounds and in all areas of life. There is no equality without the same legal protection for all." 

Mohammed Aziz, President of European Network Against Racism (ENAR), declared himself "very happy that the European Parliament has shown once again that it is a consistent supporter of comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation". Aziz said: "The Commission cannot ignore this strong call for legislation covering all discrimination grounds. There is clear evidence of the need to fight religious discrimination in Europe. It is only by fighting for comprehensive protection against all grounds of discrimination that we will achieve equal opportunities for all in jobs, accommodation, schools, etc."  

Martin K.I. Christensen, Co-Chair of the Executive of Board European Region of the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA-Europe) called the Parliament's vote "very positive and encouraging news". He said: "We are thankful to the Parliament for standing up for non-negotiable equality and ending a current embarrassing hierarchy of rights and protections. The people of Europe spoke today through their representatives to say that Europe should no longer tolerate the situation where some groups are left unprotected and without redress from discrimination. Now it is all up to the Commission to deliver on its promise and propose one directive covering all grounds of discrimination in all areas of life."  

Nicolas Beger, Director of the Amnesty International EU Office, said: "Discrimination is still wide spread in Europe. The Commission must fight it with measures that leave no one behind."