HOME | ARCHIVE | EMAIL US | TRAVEL SECTION
 

EUROPEAN UNION

Green MEP Appointed Rapporteur for New EU Anti-Discrimination Law that Now Includes Gays
 

■ Kathalijne Buitenweg MEP. photo: European Parliament

BRUSSELS, September 10, 2008  –  The Civil Liberties committee of the European Parliament decided yesterday that Dutch Green MEP Kathalijne Buitenweg is be the rapporteur for the proposed European Union anti-discrimination law.

Discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, handicap, religion and age is not yet outlawed when it comes to offering goods and services in the EU.

Ms. Buitenweg said that she is “very happy to take up this challenge”.  She added that she would like to introduce the new anti-discrimination law within the current parliamentary term.

On the labour market and in the workplace, all kinds of discrimination are forbidden according to European law.

However existing legislation does not apply to the areas of goods and services, education, social security and benefits.  Individuals who are discriminated on the basis of their sexual orientation, handicap, religion and age are still not protected.

When providing accommodation, supplying loans or mortgages, credit cards, all forms of insurance or simple matters such as car rental, individuals can still face discrimination without legal protection. Discrimination on the basis of sex and race are already prohibited, by means of existing European legislation in these areas.

According to Ms. Buitenweg, a new anti-discrimination law would not only provide for the protection of gays, which has been discussed a lot in the past year.

“Discrimination on the basis of age, handicap and religion also needs attention, because it happens on a large scale in the EU,” she said.

“Think, for example, of individuals of fifty years and older who can not get a loan or mortgage because the insurance company does not believe that they can pay back the loan.

“Or people with a handicap that can not get good health insurance.

“I would like to end these situations by means of new legislation,” she promised.

In July, the European Commission presented the proposals for new equality legislation.  That was seen by most parliamentarians as an enormous step forward.

At first, the European Commission wanted a directive which would only protect individuals with a handicap.  But with pressure from a majority in the European Parliament, led by Kathalijne Buitenweg, the proposal has been extended to the areas of sexual orientation, religion and age.

The proposals of the European Commission, which will be the basis of Buitenweg's report, still have a number of matters which needs concern.

For example, Ms. Buitenweg would like to delete the exception for special education.

“This exception could, for example, lead to refuse homosexual students courses at a Christian school.  Such an exception is unacceptable for me,” she said.

In 2000 Buitenweg was rapporteur for the legislation to guarantee equal treatment regardless of an individuals’ race or ethnic background.  Then in 2007, she was rapporteur for the group looking at the impact of this legislation.

The expectation is that the report for the new anti discrimination law will be discussed in the European Parliament at the beginning of 2009.

Seed Newsvine  

Got an opinion on this article?  Leave your comment here.