BRUSSELS, March 31, 2008  –  Michael Cashman, Labour MEP and president of European Parliament’s Inter Group on Gay and Lesbian rights, has today called on the President of the Commission, Jose Manuel Barroso, to explain his comments to members of the Women’s Committee that despite promises to the contrary, the Commission’s Non-Discrimination Directive will not deal with discrimination on the grounds of age, religion and sexual orientation.

“At the beginning of this Commission’s mandate, Barroso gave the Parliament assurances that it would bring forward a Directive to combat discrimination on the remaining grounds of Article 13,” Mr. Cashman said.

“Indeed it was announced in the Commission’s work programme for 2008.

“Now there seems to be a lack of commitment.  The European Parliament must be informed,” he insisted.

“If this issue is not properly resolved it could well become a European election platform and one on which any new Parliament would judge a new Commission and any new candidate for President of the Commission.”

Mr. Cashman went on to say that the issue is extremely serious, especially as intolerance and discrimination is on the rise in the European Union.

“If further evidence is needed, I refer to a recent poll conducted by Stonewall (lesbian and gay) Group, that have found 1 in 5 gay people are being bullied at work, and the majority of lesbian and gay people still believe they face discrimination when accessing public services,” Mr. Cashman concluded.

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Posted: 31 March 2008 at 18:30 (UK time)