Halfway through the “European Year (2007) of Equal Opportunities for Everyone”, the European Commission has launched a public consultation on line to gauge public opinion on all forms of discrimination at the national and European levels. The consultation – which is due to end on 15 October – is intended to gather the opinions and proposals of European citizens, and in particular of professionals of the sector, with a view to “preparing new measures to extend beyond the labour market the campaign against discrimination based on gender, religion, opinion, handicap, age or sexual orientation”. According to Vladimir Spidla, European Commission for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, the consultation is also aimed at “gathering as many opinions as possible on anti-discrimination measures also in such sectors as healthcare, education and right to housing”. Brussels has confirmed its intention to present in 2008 a series of measures to accompany national anti-discrimination legislation in the bid to harmonise their form and field of application, taking as an example the good results obtained by EU directives on equality of treatment on the workplace.
