Brussels, 16/07/2004 (Agence Europe) - The European Ombudsman, P. Nikiforos Diamandouros, has called on the European Commission to abolish the age limit in its in-service traineeship programme. This follows a complaint from a student at Copenhagen Business School concerning the rules governing the programme, which has an age limit of 30 years. The complainant alleges that the age limit constitutes discrimination and is contrary to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Article 21 of the Charter states that: "Any discrimination based on any ground such as ... age ... shall be prohibited". The Ombudsman notes that "According to the established case law of the European Court of Justice, a difference in treatment is discriminatory, if it is not justified by objective factors. The Commission argues that the age limit is objectively justified because the programme is aimed at young university graduates at the beginning of their careers." According to the Ombudsman, "the Commission has not explained why it considers it to be justified to discriminate between 'young' and 'old' university graduates." He states that the age limit constitutes unjustified discrimination and, in a draft recommendation, has called on the Commission to abolish it. The Commission should reply to the Ombudsman's draft recommendation by 15 September 2004.