Brussels, 26/06/2006 (Agence Europe) - Regional and local authorities should be showing the way in developing non-discrimination policies, says an opinion adopted by the Committee of the Regions (CoR) at its June plenary session in Brussels. Drafted by Eberhard Sinner (EPP, Germany) and Boris Sovic (PES, Slovenia), the opinion focuses on the EP resolution on the protection of minorities and policies to combat discrimination in the enlarged Europe. The report lists a range of recommendations to encourage intercultural dialogue, equal treatment, access to language learning, education and the job market, access to social housing and public services, access to political and civil life, and the promotion of data collection at local and regional levels.
In particular, the CoR proposes that local and regional authorities take appropriate, decentralised measures to increase the level of protection of the rights of minorities and to tackle racism and xenophobia in European towns and regions. Among such measures are the establishment of non-discrimination offices to monitor and register complaints from victims of discrimination; the distribution of information about minorities and non-discrimination policies to a wider public; the organisation of events and festivities to bring together different cultures, traditions and linguistic groups living in the same area; EuropeDirect contact points for the promotion of the rights of minorities; training programmes for local and regional administrations, teachers and journalists to promote non-discrimination and equal treatment for all citizens.