The proposal for a horizontal directive on equal treatment outside the labour market is simultaneously necessary, proportionate, and economically relevant. Such is the conclusion of an additional impact study that experts Flore Gustave and Charlie Petracco presented to the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) on Monday, 26 January.
Commissioned by the institution, the study stresses that acting alone, Member States cannot guarantee an equivalent level of protection due to very disparate national legal frameworks—a heterogeneity that, according to the study, justifies the proposal, which reportedly respects the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality.
The analysis also mentions the significant socio-economic contribution that the directive would represent.
Implementation costs—mainly related to reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities—are estimated to be €329 million over a period of five years, whereas there would be €1.23 billion in expected benefits over the same period due, in particular, to better social inclusion, reduced discrimination, and fewer disputes.
MEPs called on the European Commission to maintain its efforts regarding this text, which has been blocked in the EU Council since 2008 (see EUROPE 13721/20) due to a lack of unanimity.
Tineke Strik (Greens/EFA, Dutch) thus argued that the impact study should enable the European Parliament to reopen negotiations by addressing the concerns that some Member States had expressed regarding costs and respect for national competences. Maria Walsh (EPP, Irish) likewise maintained that the study contradicted the argument claiming that the directive would harm competitiveness—with the [directive having] expected economic benefits in terms of growth, tax revenue, and greater access to goods and services.
The study: https://aeur.eu/f/kfk (Original version in French by Nithya Paquiry)