Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2000-05-18-Speech-4-210"
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"en.20000518.7.4-210"2
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"Mr President, our rapporteur, Mrs Buitenweg, deserves a huge pat on the back for her excellent report and the skilful manner in which she has led the consultation and negotiations. We should, therefore, adopt this report without further delay.
This directive forms part of a larger package which implements Article 13 of the EC Treaty. As others have already mentioned, this Article does not only pertain to combating discrimination based on racial or ethnic origin, but also based on other grounds.
I can understand why the Commission has decided to include the fight against racial discrimination in a separate draft directive. I can also see why we are discussing this document expeditiously now and why, hopefully we shall be adopting it later today.
Far harder to accept is the fact that this draft directive against racial discrimination applies over a broader social range and, in terms of content, comprises stronger legal guarantees and control mechanisms than the second draft directive which is still in the pipeline and which is designed to fight other types of discrimination.
Together with the time lapse between the discussion of both draft directives, this difference in content entails the risk that there will be a hierarchy of types of discrimination. This would give out the wrong political message which would, in particular, have an adverse effect on the fight against discrimination on grounds such as age, handicap and sexual orientation. If anything, these so-called more recent factors deserve more, not less, attention. I would therefore like to see the Commission and Council pledge their willingness to eliminate this form of discrimination between grounds for discrimination.
I have even less appreciation for the fact that there is no mention whatsoever of discrimination on the basis of sex throughout the package which the Commission presented in November, as if the fight against this was done and dusted. It was probably for fear of stating the obvious that no such mention was made. In fact, there was no such risk. Existing European legislation governing the equal treatment of men and women only pertains to the sphere of work and is still lacking in many other areas which, especially if we compare it to the directive which we are discussing today with regard to racial discrimination, need attention as a matter of urgency. There is not enough time to list them all here, but I do not have the impression that a lack of knowledge on the part of the Commission concerning this matter is the problem.
I therefore hope that the Commissioner will pledge that she will start this exercise within the foreseeable future and will present proposals soon, as a result of which the equal treatment of the sexes in and out of the work sphere, but especially outside the work sphere, will be aligned to the directive which we are discussing, and will hopefully be adopting, here today."@en1
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