Public consultation on anti-discrimination legislation
Today the European Commission launched an online public consultation on anti-discrimination measures at EU and Member State level:
All the Member States had to bring their national legislation into line with these two Directives. According to a recent study for the Commission, the legislation in some Member States goes well beyond the minimum required under the Directives, so that, for example, gay, disabled or older people are protected from discrimination when they go to a bar or restaurant, or if they buy things or services, or rent a flat. But this is not the case in most Member States, with the result that different groups have different levels of protection. The question on which the Commission would like your views is whether this situation causes a real problem, if that is acceptable, and if not, what would be the best way to tackle it.
The 'recent study' mentioned here is the mapping study which we did carry out for the Commission during 2006. While this study initially was not meant to be publicised, it is rewarding to see that its results do play such a prominent role in the regulatory impact assessment the Commission is carrying out for possible supplementary legislation in this area.