BRUSSELS, May 19, 2008  –  Tomorrow, members of the European Parliament will debate and vote on a resolution “Progress made in equal opportunities and non-discrimination in the EU”.  The resolution is based on a report produced by Elisabeth Lynne, MEP, and adopted by the European Parliament’s Committee on Employment and Social Affairs on April 17, 2008.

The British Conservatives have said they will not support the resolution.  And this morning, Michael Cashman, the president of the Parliament’s all-party Intergroup on gay and lesbian rights, call on the Conservatives “do the decent thing and help to end discrimination based on age, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation.”

The draft resolution clearly urges the European Commission to stay committed to the Commission’s work plan for 2008 and to come out with a proposal for one ‘horizontal’ anti-discrimination directive covering all grounds of discrimination, including sexual orientation.

The draft resolution states, that the European Parliament:

“Reiterates the political, social and legal desirability of putting an end to the hierarchy of protection against the different grounds of discrimination; strongly believes that it does not make sense to outlaw discrimination in one area whilst allowing it in another and therefore welcomes the Commission’s intention to draft a comprehensive directive to combat discrimination under Article 13 of the EC Treaty as provided in its 2008 work programme.”

As became widely known, and recently confirmed by the European Commission, the Commission’s proposal for the new EU anti-discrimination directive might not include such grounds as age, religion/belief and sexual orientation and might cover only disability.

The excluded grounds of discrimination such as age, religion/believe and sexual orientation would be addressed by proposing legally non-binding recommendations.

On April 9, ILGA-Europe intensified its campaign to ensure the European Commission proposes a directive covering all grounds of discrimination and ends the hierarchy of protection and rights existing in the EU.

“We all heartedly welcome the European Parliament’s report and hope the MEPs will support the resolution calling on the Commission to end hierarchy of protection in the EU,” Deborah Lambillotte, co-chair of the Executive Board of ILGA-Europe, said this afternoon.

“Just two weeks ago, José Manuel Durão Barroso, the President of the European Commission, acknowledged that there is “a lively debate on the need for further anti-discrimination legislation at European level” and assured that “this debate is not about whether to combat discrimination; it is about how to do so most effectively”.

ILGA-Europe strongly believes that one directive covering all grounds of discrimination is the best way to address enduring inequalities in legal protections. A multi-ground directive will not only end the hierarchy of protections and rights, but it is also the adequate and appropriate way of addressing the issues of multiple discrimination.

For years, ILGA-Europe and its member have been gathering proofs and evidence that discrimination based on a person’s sexual orientation in areas outside employment exists and is widely spread in Europe. These proofs and evidence were provided to the Commission in its assessment of the need for new legislation. Recently, the Fundamental Rights Agency of the EU, which is researching homophobia and collecting data on discrimination based on sexual orientation, stated that “effective legislation is hereby seen as a key instrument in tackling and overcoming such challenges [homophobia and discrimination] across the EU.”

Mr. Cashman this morning challenged the Conservatives to end their appalling record on anti-discrimination legislation by reconsidering their position on a report which is being voted on by the Europe Parliament this week.

“Not only have Conservative MEPs failed time and time again to support anti-discrimination legislation, they actually boast about it,” he said.

“Just a few weeks ago they proudly announced that they had stood up for companies that wished to discriminate in the supply of goods and services.”

“Labour MEPs have always supported legislation to end discrimination in the supply of goods and services on the grounds of disability, religion or belief, age and sexual orientation.”

In the past four years, UK Labour MEPs have reminded the Commission of its promise on ten separate occasions.

“The Conservatives opposed a fundamental part of this report when it was considered in Committee and in doing so they have effectively said that it is acceptable to discriminate on the grounds of sexual orientation, age, religion and belief,” Mr. Cashman pointed out.

“Now President Barroso is backtracking and is suggesting that the Commission will only act to end discrimination on the grounds of disability. Therefore this vote will be hugely important in telling him and the rest of the Commission that they must stick to their promise.”

Mr. Cashman will be meeting President Barroso tomorrow and he said he “will ram home the message” that the Socialist Group (to which Labour members belong) will not back down on this issue.

“There is no going back on this.  We will not allow one group to be bought off at the expense of another.  We cannot have a hierarchy of discrimination.

“Our history of the Second World War tells us where this ultimately takes us.

“The Liberals will join with us in this call for legislation and so too will the Greens. We will have a majority.”

“It is not too late for the Tories.  I am asking them vote with us and do the decent thing and help to end discrimination based on age, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation.”

“To every single Conservative MEP I say this – I dare you to do the right thing.  If you do not then we will have further proof that, despite the cosy words, the Tory party has not changed – and cannot change.”