On Friday 22 June, the European Commission issued a raft of recommendations to the member states to improve efficiency of the national bodies responsible for ensuring equality.
In a press release, Vĕra Jourová, the Commissioner for Justice, stated, “Victims (…) should know where to turn and equality bodies are there to help them in these situations. We must ensure that national equality bodies are independent, with sufficient resources to carry out their task”.
It should be recalled that several “directives on equality” require the member states to have at least one organisation on their territory responsible for following up and analysing discrimination.
The Commission is recommending that member states guarantee that the administrative structure of these bodies is independent, in addition to their budget donations and the procedures applicable to appointing and dismissing personnel. These bodies should also have the resources for collecting elements of proof and information.
The European Commission also argues that it is essential that the member states allow these bodies to treat both individual and collective complaints, provide legal assistance and represent victims in the courts. The member states will be requested to communicate the measures taken following this recommendation in the reports they are obliged to present under the terms of the directive on equality.
For further information about the recommendation please see: https://bit.ly/2MNzfwn. (Original version in French by Marion Fontana)