Strasbourg, 19/06/2006 (Agence Europe) - With the adoption last week by 390 votes to 222 and 47 abstentions of the own-initiative report amended by Tatjana Zdanovka, Latvian Green member, on a framework strategy for non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all, the European Parliament above all stresses that: (1) the fight against discrimination, over and beyond legislative instruments and appeal processes, must necessarily be based on education, the promotion of best practices and campaigns targeting public opinion and areas where discrimination is rife; (2) “positive action” does not mean “positive discrimination”: - concrete examples cited by the resolution include actions such as revision of recruitment policies and practice, the adoption of measures to attract the attention of disadvantaged groups to certain opportunities open to them, the fixing of objectives to improve representation of these groups among workers and the provision of support for these categories of persons.
The EP above all calls on the Commission to present proposals banning discrimination encountered in the daily lives of homosexual couples, whether they live as married couples or as a registered partnership - mainly when they exercise their freedom of movement embodied in the European legislation (Ed. This point explains why many voices were raised against). They welcome the Commission's intention to establish a high-level advisory group responsible for the integration of disadvantaged ethnic minorities and to deal more particularly with the question of migrant women because of the double discrimination they have to endure.
European Parliament Plenary Session (cont.)