Last Friday, March 21st, it was marked the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination. The European Union has been founded on the values of respect for human dignity and rights, freedom, democracy, and equality. No-one in the EU should be discriminated based on its racial or ethnic origin. In 2020 the European […]
Are we making progress on ending discrimination in the EU?
In the EU, discrimination based on any grounds is prohibited by law. Yet for many people this is still a daily reality. To tackle this, the Commission has since 2020 put forward novel initiatives against racism, antisemitism, but also for LGBTIQ people and Roma communities. Progress reports on all four have recently been published. The first […]
El CJEU asks Spanish Courts to compensate fathers who were denied their pension supplement, granted in Spain only to mothers
An administrative practice of systematically refusing to grant that supplement equally to fathers and thus disregarding the inferences to be drawn from the judgment in 2019, in which the Court of Justice declared the grant of that supplement solely to mothers as discriminatory, makes those fathers subject to twofold discrimination By judgment of 12 December […]
Sexual orientation cannot be a reason to refuse to conclude a contract with a self-employed worker
Judgment of the Court in Case C-356/21 The Directive on equal treatment in employment and occupation, which covers a wide range of occupational activities, establishes a general framework for combatting discrimination based, inter alia, on sexual orientation. Between 2010 and 2017, a self-employed worker prepared audiovisual material, trailers and features for the promotional programmes of […]
Are undertakings allowed to prohibit the use of religious symbols by internal rule? Answer of the CJEU
According to the Court of Justice, religion and belief must be regarded as constituting one and the same criterion of discrimination, failing which the general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation laid down by EU law, more specifically Directive 2000/78, must be undermined. Since 2018, a dispute has been pending between L.F., a […]
Roma: what discrimination do they face and what does EU do?
Six million Roma live in the EU. Find out what discrimination they face and how Parliament proposes to boost their social inclusion. What discrimination do Roma people face? Romani people are one of Europe’s largest ethnic minorities with some six million living in the EU. They face difficulties such as limited access to quality education […]
EU wins WTO case against Turkey’s discriminatory practices on pharmaceuticals
The EU welcomes today’s appeal arbitration award by the World Trade Organization (WTO) in the case the EU brought against Turkey on pharmaceutical products. The appeal award confirms the Panel’s ruling and finds that the localisation measure discriminates against foreign pharmaceutical products, as it is not a form of government procurement of pharmaceutical products, and […]
Commission refers HUNGARY to the Court of Justice of the EU over violation of LGBTIQ rights
The European Commission decided to refer Hungary to the Court of Justice of the EU over a Hungarian law which discriminates against people on the basis of their sexual orientation and gender identity. The Commission considers that the law violates the internal market rules, the fundamental rights of individuals (in particular LGBTIQ people) as well as […]
MEPs say “no” to the Super League
The EU must shape a sporting model based on solidarity, inclusion, open competition and fairness, says a resolution adopted by MEPs on Tuesday. With 597 votes in favour, 36 against and 55 abstentions, MEPs backed a European sporting culture aligned with the EU’s values of solidarity, sustainability, inclusion, open competition, sporting merit and fairness. MEPs […]