The European Commission has confirmed its intention to bring forward a new comprehensive anti-discrimination directive, despite objections from some Member States, after a campaign by European Parliamentarians and NGOs, culminating in strong support for a broad framework directive through a report last month in the European Parliament by MEP Liz Lynne which called on the European Commission to honour its plans for a comprehensive directive covering all forms of discrimination.

Promised by the Commission in its 2008 Work Programme, the directive will outlaw discrimination in access to goods and services covering all areas presently excluded, including disability, age, religion or belief and sexual orientation.

Liz Lynne MEP (Lib Dem,UK) Vice President of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, who also recently launched a public petition in support of a new directive, said:

“Commissioner Spidla has been working towards this end and I am pleased that he will now have the support of the college of commissioners for his proposals due at the beginning of July. The European Parliament, in adopting my recent report on progress on equal opportunities and non-disrimination, sent a strong signal to the Commission and Member States that there could be no hierarchy of discrimination with some forms considered more acceptable than others."

Commissioner Spidla has been working towards this end and I am pleased that he will now have the support of the college of commissioners for his proposals due at the beginning of July.   

Liz Lynne

"Non-discrimination and equal treatment are principles that lie at the heart of the European Union's treaties.If there are objections from Member States they must make their own objections and not use the European Union institutions as a scapegoat."

"The challenge now is to ensure that the proposal is workable and achieves its aims and I will be urging the Commission to look at successful national legislation across Member States for examples of best practice in this field; there is no need to reinvent the wheel."

Sophie In't Veld MEP (D66, Netherlands) has also been actively campaigning, from a civil liberties angle, to ensure that the EU addresses the full range of discrimination, especially on grounds of sexual orientation.  

"In light of the Irish vote on the Lisbon Treaty, it is very timely that the Commission has now agreed to present a comprehensive directive to combat all forms of discrimination."

"It is this sort of issue that demonstrates that the EU has a heart and cares about ordinary people who suffer in their daily lives from discrimination. I personally know many individuals who will benefit from this if Member States agree to support it."

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).