Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2008-05-20-Speech-2-058"
| Predicate | Value (sorted: default) |
|---|---|
| rdf:type | |
| dcterms:Date | |
| dcterms:Is Part Of | |
| dcterms:Language | |
| lpv:document identification number |
"en.20080520.6.2-058"2
|
| lpv:hasSubsequent | |
| lpv:speaker | |
| lpv:spoken text |
"Mr President, I think Philip Bushill-Matthews’ criticism underlines just how good Elizabeth Lynne’s report is! I think she is to be congratulated. She has done a very good job of underlining the poor level of implementation and transposition of the two directives adopted back in the year 2000 on risk and discrimination in employment.
But back then, Commissioner, you and the Committee on Employment and Social Affairs here recognised that discrimination does not stop at the office or factory wall. We recognised then the need to act more broadly to introduce a horizontal directive to combat all forms of discrimination throughout the whole of society. You publicly stated that you supported that idea; your President, President Barroso, publicly committed himself to such a horizontal directive.
We are therefore very disturbed to hear that back-pedalling is going on inside the Commission, reconsideration, perhaps a focus only on disability. I am hearing that three possible options are being considered in the Commission at the moment: the horizontal directive, which is still alive; secondly, a specific directive on disability or, the third possibility, a directive on disability and one other form of discrimination.
Where the logic is in that final option I just do not know. We need a strong advocate right now, Commissioner, for that horizontal directive that you committed yourself to. As Elizabeth Lynne said, there can be no hierarchy of forms of discrimination within the European Union. All European Union citizens are equal and need to be dealt with as such. We cannot tolerate any discrimination on any grounds against any section of our Community.
I heard it said at a meeting last week in Brussels, and you hinted at it yourself today, Commissioner, and Philip Bushill-Matthews did so just now, that we should not act because infringement proceedings have been launched against a number of Member States for failure to comply with the earlier directives. We cannot take that line of argument. We cannot allow Member States to force us to act at the speed of the slowest in terms of implementation and then enforcement. You, Commissioner, have the right of initiative. You need to exercise that right. We need to act rigorously. You need to act rigorously to ensure full compliance and not allow Member States to enter into a conspiracy that would cause us to move at the speed of the slowest.
We also need to focus clear attention on the need for remedies and enforcement, strong remedies to make sure that Member States do indeed comply fully with those directives agreed back in the year 2000. I fully commend Elizabeth Lynne’s report."@en1
|
| lpv:spokenAs | |
| lpv:unclassifiedMetadata |
Named graphs describing this resource:
The resource appears as object in 2 triples