Brussels, 22/05/2003 (Agence Europe) - The present proposals from the European Convention seem to exclude the principal of non-discrimination in the introductory section of the European Constitution, which implies back tracking over the acquis in terms of the fight against discrimination, asserted the 'Coalition for Equality', which issued, during a press conference, on Wednesday in Brussels, a declaration calling on the Convention to clearly commit itself for equality within the EU.
Among others, the Coalition for Equality is proposing six amendment for guarantees of equality and the fight against all forms of discrimination in the new treaty: 1) adding equality of values in the EU (Article 2); 2) making non-discrimination on the basis of race, religion, sexual orientation, handicap or age an additional aim of the EU (Article 3); 3) renaming Article 6 'non-discrimination'; 4) adding a new paragraph to Article 13 of the present treaty specifying that 'all discrimination based on sex, race or ethnic origin, religion or belief, handicap, age or sexual orientation must be prohibited'; 5) make the fight against discrimination a shared competence, in Article 12.4; 6) in this way introduce qualified majority voting and co-decision.
The fight for equality and against discrimination is a key principal for the EU. We must send a clear signal to citizens according to which we refuse any back tracking over our acquis, stated the President of the EP Intergroup on Gay and Lesbian Rights, Joke Swiebel (ESP, Netherlands). The Vice-President of the EP Intergroup on the Rights of Handicapped Persons, Richard Howitt (ESP, Britain) considered it unacceptable that today there remains doubts at this advanced stage of the acquis. Handicapped persons and others will not understand that the fight against discrimination is neither a value, aim, nor even a shared competence in the EU. The Austrian Christian Democrat and Vice-President of the EP Intergroup on Ageing Maria Liese Flemming noted that Article 13 is beginning to have a following in all countries, and that in her own country there already exists a programme aimed at fighting against age-related discrimination. The President of the EP Intergroup against Racism, Claude Moraes (ESP British), argues forcefully: there is a danger that the Convention has simply not seen how the EU has changed, and has underestimated the determination of NGOs.