WUNRN
European Women's Lobby - EWL
European
Commission Proposes Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Directive But
Without Increased Protection Against Sex-Based Discrimination
The European Women’s
Lobby very much welcomes the European Commission’s initiative for a European
Directive to protect against discrimination outside of employment on the
grounds of religion, age, disability and sexual orientation. The proposal aims
to prohibit discrimination in the public and private sector with regards to
social protection including social security and health care, social advantages,
education, and in access to and supply of goods and services including housing.
The proposed new
legislation does not cover discrimination on the ground of
sex. There is already EU
legislation regarding equality between women and men in the area of employment
and in relation to goods and services. If this new Directive is adopted, there
will be a gap between on the one hand European legislation on the grounds of
race (directive from 2000), religion/belief, disability, age, sexual
orientation (new directive if adopted) and on the other hand European gender
equality legislation.
The EWL is
calling for this gap to be filled.
On the other hand,
the proposed Directive contains a number of exceptions
which are left for decisions by Member States, for example the organisation of
school systems (in relation to education), the relationship between
state/church, and matters related to marital and family status, including
adoption and reproductive rights. This means for example that each Member
State is free to
institute/recognise legally registered partnerships. There is a risk that
reproductive health services are also excluded from the scope of the Directive.
These matters therefore must be clarified. When the Directive is
adopted, sex will be the least protected ground for
discrimination in European legislation, with gaps in the areas of education,
healthcare, social advantages and social security.
For EWL these gaps must be filled, and therefore gender mainstreaming must be
firmly integrated in the proposal; multiple discrimination must be sufficiently
addressed and defined in order to ensure an effective level of protection for
all forms of discrimination, including sex discrimination.
EWL urges the EC and Member States to clarify the material scope of the Directive 2004/113 on
equal treatment between women and men on access to and supply of goods and services
with regards to social protection including social security and health care and
social advantages, and to commit to a
precise calendar to level up and complement the existing European gender
equality legislation by 2010 at the latest,
in order to ensure that the protection against sex discrimination is on an
equal footing with other forms of discrimination in the EU.
European Commission’s Proposal:
______________________________________________________________
================================================================
To contact the list administrator, or to leave the list, send an email to: wunrn_listserve-request@lists.wunrn.com.
Thank you.