Strasbourg, 11/10/2000 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament approved, last week in plenary, two drafts on which it was simply consulted, which represent a move forward in the fight, at the European level, against discriminations. It did so by approving the report by the British Labour member Michael Cashman on a Community action programme for the 2001-2006 period (386 yes, 36 no and 71 abstentions) and the report by the German Christian Democrat Thomas Mann on a draft Directive covering the creation of a general framework in favour of the equal treatment in terms of employment (416 yes, 17 no and 61 abstentions). The Socialist group welcomed the approval of the programme to fight against discrimination totalling around EUR 100 million. The Parliament, by following its rapporteur, reinforced the Commission proposal by insisting in particular on its own control over the implementation of the action programme and on the greater involvement of non-governmental organisations. The vote on the Mann report also reinforced the draft examined, by underlining in particular that it should be part of the Community acquis to be adopted by the accession candidate countries. It is the first time that a European regulation gives rights to around 37 million handicapped persons in the EU, said the British Labour member Richard Howitt.
By presenting his report on the Community action programme, during a debate often marked with emotion and indignation, Mr Cashman exclaimed: why does such discrimination exist? They are "illogical, irrational, based on ignorance". If we, political leaders, do not have the courage to put an end to discrimination, let us at least have the integrity to admit it, said the rapporteur.
Mr Mann, rapporteur on the draft Directive noted that Article 13 of the Treaty is sometimes called "the sleeping giant" and hoped that they foresee a separate Directive for the handicapped, while noting that often companies do not hire handicapped persons so as not to shoulder the additional costs that they could cause. Mrs Lynn, when speaking for the Employment Committee, cites an especially serious case, that of a handicapped person who had been invited to the Parliament in Brussels and who went through one problem after another: refusal by a taxi driver to carry her, refusal by a restaurant to welcome her (because her appearance might put off other clients). Among the other MEPs who spoke, Mrs Swiebel, when speaking for the Women's Rights and Public Freedoms Committees, note in particular that the European Parliament cannot still fully exercise its right of co-legislator with regards to Article 13, and she regretted that the existing legislation in terms of discrimination is scattered, as if there was a "hierarchy" of discriminations. Mrs McCarthy, spokesperson for the Judicial Committee, was concerned in particular over discrimination based on age, when asserting that "the grey revolution is on its way", while Mrs McAvan, who spoke for the Industry Committee, welcomed the recognition by the European Commission of the role that NGOs can play in this field.
Among the speakers of the political groups, Mr Cornillet (EPP, French) said he expected a lot from the assessment process into the implementation of anti-discrimination provisions wanted by his group: we expect, he underlined, a report giving an account "of the money and the use of this money". The Belgian Socialist Mrs van Lancker, who hoped that the Directive would be approved by the Council before the end of the year, felt that it could have "enormous effects", notably for the elderly, handicapped, homosexuals, while Baroness Ludford, British Liberal Democrat, warned against the abuse of the provision according to which, in the case of religious organisations, a different treatment based on the religion or belief of a person does not constitute discrimination. On the other hand, Reverend Paisley (Unionist, Northern Ireland, not affiliated) boomed, quoting the Bible, against the provisions in favour of homosexuals which, according to him, bring "a blow to that sanctity of marriage".
Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou said she was optimistic as to the adopting of the Directive before the end of the year and asserted that it is important for the Council to approve this autumn the action programme in order to avoid there being a gap with the preparatory action underway. Mrs Diamantopoulou can accept a certain number of parliamentary amendments concerning among others "mainstreaming", multiple discriminations, the prevention of discriminations, the co-financing of NGOs, while others are, according to her, in contradiction with the Commission proposals or risk making it unbalanced. All this must be part of the "social acquis" that the candidate countries must adopt, underlined Mrs Diamantopoulou, who recalled that the latter can participate, for the first time, in joint projects. If Turkey presents concrete drafts in this framework, the Commission could take them into consideration, indicated Anna Diamantopoulou.