Four core themes

“Citizens have a right to enjoy equal treatment and live a life free from any kind of discrimination”, declared VLADIMÌR SPIDLA , European Commissioner for Employment, in presenting the European Year of Equal Opportunities for everyone, which began on 1st January. NO TO DISCRIMINATION. The question of equal opportunities has been firmly on the agenda of the EU institutions for several years now, while the principle of non-discrimination, which runs in parallel with that of real equality among citizens, is particularly enshrined in article 81 of the Constitution, still awaiting ratification. The year devoted to equal opportunities was urged by the institutions themselves – Council, Parliament, and Commission – and by numerous exponents of European civil society. Meanwhile a special social equality website has been inaugurated in Brussels (http://ec.europa.eu/employment_social/equality2007), while what’s still lacking is a detailed definition of the various initiatives to be realized in the 27 States at the local, national and Community level: conferences, competitions, information in schools and on the workplace, involvement of universities, businesses, trades unions, and so on. while what’s still lacking is a detailed definition of the various initiatives to be realized in the 27 States at the local, national and Community level: conferences, competitions, information in schools and on the workplace, involvement of universities, businesses, trades unions, and so on.GUARANTEES FOR EACH CITIZEN. “For a whole year, we will insist on equal opportunities and on the benefits, also economic, for Europe of a society founded on diversity”, explains Spidla. According to the Commission, the European Year ought “to make EU citizens aware of their own right not to be discriminated against, of the need to promote equal opportunities in such fields as employment and healthcare, and to demonstrate that diversity makes Europe stronger”. The programme for the Year will be articulated in four core themes: rights, representation, recognition and respect. Initiatives will concentrate on “combating discrimination based on gender, race or ethnic origin, religion or diversity of opinion, disability, age or sexual orientation”. The intention seems to be that of actively promoting the same opportunities for each person in the sphere of daily life. Some doubts were expressed, in various circles, at the time of the formulation of the objectives of the Year, about the definition of the concept of equal opportunities, which is differently understood from country to country, and sometimes subject to misunderstandings at the Community level. SUMMIT, OPINION POLL AND COMPETITIONS. The overall budget at the disposal of the European Year for Equal Opportunities is 15 million euros. It will serve to fund among other things “an information campaign at the European level, a new opinion poll conducted by Eurobarometer on discrimination, and hundreds of national projects such as essay competitions for schools on the theme of respect and tolerance”. The EU has also organized in Berlin, on 30/31 January, an “Equality Summit”, which will bring together 450 delegates from all over Europe and serve to officially launch the European Year. “The EU – says the website dedicated to the Year – has every reason to be proud of its legislation in the field of anti-discrimination”, which is based in particular on two Directives, which prohibit any form of discrimination on the workplace and in other aspects of daily life. “But to be fully effective, these laws need to be known and fully implemented”. That’s why there is a need for “clear political support” on the part of governments and for “popular support” to which 2007 ought to give new impetus. Each country has in the meantime indicated an institution that will assume responsibility for initiatives at the national level. For example, the German government, which holds the revolving Presidency of the EU in the first half of this year, has indicated the Ministry of the Family, Women and Youth for this role; Bulgaria, the Ministry of Labour and Social Policies; France, the National Anti-Discrimination Authority; Lithuania, the Office for Equal Opportunities; and the Czech Republic, the Government Office for Human Rights. POLITICS, EQUALITY BETWEEN MEN AND WOMEN. The European Parliament once again devoted its attention to equal opportunities last week. It adopted the report that bears the signature of the Slovak MEP ANNA ZÁBORSKÁ . The report was prompted by the fact that, with enlargement to Bulgaria and Romania, “the presence of women in the EP has suffered a slight fall”. MEPs emphasised once again “the importance of equality between men and women in political decisions” and appealed “to the political groups to provide incentives for the full participation of women in public life”. They rejected, however, the proposal for obligatory “female quotas” in EU institutions. The report insists that equality of treatment must concern “all activities” of the EU, including the formulation of Community policies, representation and legislation.