The International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) and 140 civil society organizations call on EU leaders to ensure that equality before the law and non-discrimination be central priorities in the EU’s upcoming work programme.
Equality before the law and non-discrimination are fundamental principles of the European Union, enshrined in Articles 20 and 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
“Still too many people face inequality and discrimination across the EU nowadays, in all aspects of their lives,” said Karolína Babická, Senior Legal Adviser of ICJ’s Europe and Central Asia Programme. “The EU must take action and establishing a solid equality-centred institutional framework would be a first crucial step in that direction,” she added.
These efforts should build upon the EU’s “Union of Equality” agenda implemented over the past five years. This agenda has facilitated the adoption of the Directive on Violence Against Women, the drafting of a Green Paper on Ageing, the renewal of the EU Roma Strategic Framework, and the appointment of the first EU Commissioner for Equality, among other initiatives. Future efforts should further this progress by directing prosperous funding streams to support equality before the law and non-discrimination work, ensuring an intersectional approach to the Union of Equality agenda, and enduring collaboration with civil society organizations on non-discrimination and equality reforms.
Today, the ICJ and other civil society organizations wrote to EU leaders calling on them to:
- Appoint a Commissioner for Equality and Fundamental Rights, choosing a candidate with a demonstrated commitment to equality, and ensuring that the mandate has the power to renew and deepen the Union of Equality agenda;
- Strengthen the Union of Equality agenda by introducing new strategies to address non-discrimination grounds not already covered, mainstreaming all strategies across policy areas and renewing and building-out existing equality strategies, such as the Gender Equality Strategy, LGBTIQ Equality Strategy, the EU Anti-Racism Action Plan, the Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion, the EU Strategy on the rights of persons with disabilities and the Roma strategic framework;
- Ensure the next EU budget includes prosperous funding streams for civil society organizations working on equality before the law and non-discrimination;
- Ensure equality before the law and non-discrimination objectives be also core components of EU priorities in the sphere of international cooperation, external and humanitarian action;
- Maintain the current status of the Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality and refrain from weakening its mandate;
- Establish a Council configuration dedicated to equality in the EU and ensure concrete commitments towards implementation of equality strategies by member states;
- Establish a new Directorate-General for Equality and Fundamental Rights thereby strengthening the Commission’s ability to design and monitor equality before the law and non-discrimination laws and policies.
“By taking these steps, the EU has the opportunity to set a global standard for equality before the law and non-discrimination. This commitment will ensure that all individuals, regardless of their background or personal circumstances, can participate fully and equally in society”, Babická added.
Read the full letter here.