Brussels, 26/04/2007 (Agence Europe) - EU Equal Opportunities Commissioner Vladimir Spidla, EP Vice-President Pierre Moscovici (PES, France) and EP rapporteur for 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, Martine Roure (PES, France) officially launched the EU Diversity Truck Tour in Strasbourg on Wednesday 25 April to promote human diversity and equal opportunities throughout Europe. The converted lorry will serve as a mobile event platform and visit 33 cities in 19 EU countries. Spidla and Moscovici also attended the launch of an 'ability park' by Liz Lynne (ALDE, UK), Vice-President of the European Parliament's employment and social affairs committee and Vice-President of the EP's disability intergroup, and Richard Howitt (PES, UK). The aim of the park is to demonstrate the problems of living with disabilities like being hard of hearing, blind or partially sighted, for example. A panel of MEPs has been formed on discrimination in general and another panel has been set up on discrimination based on sexual orientation, race or religion. The secretary general of the Assembly of the Regions of Europe (ARE), Klaus Klippe, announced the launch of the first 'Observatory of Migrant Women' and lobbying of the European Commission to set up a single contact point to deal with the issue of ethnic minorities (currently being dealt with by a series of DGs).
On Tuesday, Commissioner Spidla announced that the 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All was an official partner of the Eurovision Song Contest for 2007. He said the contest was a spectacular pan-European event, bringing together all the cultures and flavours of Europe, making it an excellent platform for information on the right to equal treatment. (gb)