Brussels, 28/10/2014 (Agence Europe) - During her most recent speech, the European Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, Martine Reicherts, mooted the idea of strengthening cooperation on the anti-discrimination directive that has been blocked at the Council for the past six years. Her answer was in reply to the demand from the European Agency for Fundamental Rights to guarantee more equality for lesbians, bi-sexual, gay and transgender (LBGTI) made during a conference on this theme in Brussels on 20 October, jointly organised with the Italian presidency.
Progress. The director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), Morten Kjaerum, affirmed during this conference that protection against discrimination based on sexual identity or orientation had been strengthened in Europe over recent years. He used the example of the fact that in 2008, 9 member states limited sexual orientation discrimination to just employment but that by 2014, this had dropped to 3 and that in 2010, 8 Member States considered same-sex spouses as 'family members' in the context of free movement within the EU and that this was now the case in 18 member states. However, progress really had to be made in the legal field for LGBTI, asserted Kjaerum, who would like, for example, sexual identity to be taken into account in EU treaties and the Charter for Human Rights.
Anti-discrimination directive. On Tuesday 28 October, Commissioner Martine Reicherts made her last speech before the new Commission becomes operational and indeed affirmed that LGBTI equality would be at the top of Vera Jourova's agenda. The latter takes over from her next Monday. Reicherts particularly emphasised an alternative for unblocking the anti-discrimination directive (“equal treatment” directive), which has struggled to obtain the required unanimity from member states. The Commissioner is therefore proposing to change the legal basis of this text to enable member states that want to adopt this directive through strengthened cooperation. During the conference she said that “Taking a small step is better than waiting for a big one that might just be impossible at this moment in time”.
Action plan. She also provided assurances that Jourova, together with the vice-president of the European Commission, would present an action plan for promoting LGBTI rights. This strategy is expected to define the objectives and scope of the Commission member states in this respect. The outgoing Commissioner concluded that an action plan would send out a strong message for LGBTI throughout the EU “But as important as it is to have an action plan, it is not an end in itself… Because what counts in the end is whether we really make a difference in people's lives”. (MD)