Álvaro OliveiraUnit D1 – Equality Legislation

DG Justice & Consumers - European Commission

EU equality legislation against hate speech & discrimination … ILGA-Europe & ENORB - Brussels - 26 March 2015

The equal treatment directivenegotiations' state of play

Outline

1 – The 2008 proposal

2 – The new Commission

3 – State of play of negotiations

Existing equality legislation

\Grounds

Field

Race Religion Disability Age Sexual orientatio

n

Sex

Employment & vocational training

Yes +Equality

body

Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes +Equality

body

Education Yes +Equality

body

No No No No No

Goods and services

Yes +Equality

body

No No No No Yes +Equality

body

Social protection

Yes +Equality

body

No No No No Yes +EB part

1- The 2008 proposal for an Equal Treatment Directive

July 2008

Prohibit discrimination Based on disability, age, religion and sexual orientation In Social protection (social security, healthcare), Education

and Access to goods and services available to the public AND for persons with disabilities: Accessibility and reasonable accommodation

except if entail a disproportionate burden

April 2009, EP resolution endorsing proposal Stalemate in the Council … several MSs

2 - The New Commission

• - A political committment

• "Discrimination must have no place in our Union (…). I will therefore maintain the proposal for a directive in this field and seek to convince national governments to give up their current resistance in the Council." [and adopt it, …]

• - A Commissioner • for "Gender Equality"

• Mission letter

3 – Negotiations - state of play

EPSCO Council December 2014 No to the enhanced cooperation procedure Yes to Directive with complete scope MT and CZ Rep. general support

New dynamic …

And the future ?