Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2005-12-12-Speech-1-164"
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"en.20051212.19.1-164"2
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"Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to start by thanking Mrs Roure for her work on this report. The European Union has made a commitment to promoting basic rights and equal opportunities for all. We have some of the most comprehensive anti-discrimination legislation in the world. But ask yourself this: are our fellow citizens aware of the European anti-discrimination directives? Do they know that all the Member States are obliged to transpose those directives into their national legislation? Unfortunately, I think the answer is no. That is why the initiative of launching the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All is a very constructive one.
A media event on this scale is an effective method of increasing awareness and providing information. Equality of opportunity is a policy involving specific measures that aim to help the disadvantaged by establishing fair access to rights, goods and services. For equality to become a reality, we need to combat all types of discrimination. Every day, men and women suffer discrimination when they try to access jobs and services, particularly due to their sex, their origin or their religion. That is unacceptable, and we cannot continue to tolerate such practices.
The activities that the EU will support in 2007 and the awareness and demonstration campaigns are a step in the right direction. It is also vital to have a real political will for this, and all the Member States must join forces, without exception. Full implementation of our anti-discrimination legislation therefore remains a top priority. It is distressing to see that certain Member States have been condemned for not having correctly transposed the European directives in this field.
Tomorrow, Parliament must send a strong message to our fellow citizens by adopting this report by a large majority. The fight against discrimination is not just fought by the left or by the right. It is fought by men and women of conviction with a common objective: fighting for respect for human rights and, more specifically, against discrimination of all kinds."@en1
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