On Monday 12 May, the European Commissioner for Equality, Hadja Lahbib, was asked by the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) to clarify the European Commission’s position on the withdrawal of the Horizontal Anti-Discrimination Directive (see EUROPE 13581/20, 13579/21), proposed in 2008 and since blocked by the lack of unanimity in the EU Council.
The text is one of 37 legislative proposals that the Commission plans to withdraw within the next six months, according to its work programme it had presented on 12 February (https://aeur.eu/f/fgp ).
“We have not taken a final decision”, assured Hadja Lahbib, explaining that the Commission was “waiting for the reactions of Parliament and the EU Council”.
So far, only one letter signed by 69 MEPs has been received, as stated by the Commissioner.
“That’s not good enough. A clear reaction from the LIBE Committee would send a strong signal”, she insisted, calling on MEPs to “make their voices heard” by the end of the summer.
Despite some progress, notably under the Belgian and Polish presidencies, three Member States - the Czech Republic, Germany and Italy - are still opposed to the adoption of the text (see EUROPE 13574/25).
“The best thing would be to adopt this text and, therefore, to convince these three States to abstain rather than oppose it”, said the Commissioner, who also acknowledged that this impasse could lead to a withdrawal, unless there was a “turnaround” before August.
Fabienne Keller (Renew Europe, French) pointed out that this directive represents a “commitment on the part of millions of Europeans facing discrimination”.
She added that “almost half of Muslims in Europe report discrimination, three out of four people of African origin are victims of racism” and that antisemitic acts and the marginalisation of persons with disabilities are on the rise.
Lena Düpont (EPP, German) said she was “perplexed” by the impasse in the EU Council, but also by the “glimmer of hope” that came from the support expressed.
She asked whether a new proposal, more acceptable to all, could be envisaged. The Commissioner replied that the Commission was still assessing everyone’s positions and that “starting from scratch would take time”.
Krzysztof Śmiszek (S&D, Polish) denounced what he saw as a “step backwards” and said this directive was “the last piece in the jigsaw of the EU’s anti-discrimination framework”. He urged the Commission to stay the course. “We’ve been talking for 17 years. Compromises have been found. We have to go all the way”, he urged.
However, Fabrice Leggeri (PfE, French) questioned the very need for the text, seeing it as an ideological drift: “Isn’t this a salutary reaction against the rampant wokism that permeates all the Commission’s departments?”
Hadja Lahbib asserted that “it's not about wokism, it’s simply about humane and equal treatment”.
Alice Kuhnke (Greens/EFA, Swedish) asked what the Commission “expects (from the European Parliament) to come back on (its) decision”.
The Commissioner replied that “a clear reaction from the LIBE Committee would be a strong signal”. And she added: “Make your voice heard”. (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)