Vladimir Spidla
Member of the European Commission responsible for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities

Mainstreaming diversity

Opening of the conference on anti-discrimination organised by the Luxembourg Presidency
Luxembourg, 27 June 2005

Madam Minister,

Mr Chairman,

Europe is united by fundamental values and rights, just as much as by currency and trade.

It is respect for these rights which lends legitimacy to economic integration, and not the other way around. If we do not achieve progress in employment, social cohesion and equal opportunities for all, popular support for the European Union, and the very justification for its existence, will disappear.

It is a hard lesson which I have learnt from the French and Dutch "No" votes and which must now inspire the process of reflection upon which the European Union will embark.

This is why I am pleased to open this conference, at the side of Marie-Josée Jacobs, whom I would like to thank for her commitment to a Europe of equal opportunities and inclusion.

I am also delighted by the presence of Claude Moraes, whose important report on the rights of minorities and anti-discrimination policies has just been adopted by the European Parliament.

The Commission has recently launched two specific initiatives designed to achieve progress in non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all. We have taken account of the many contributions received under the broad-based public consultation which took place in 2004. These initiatives also reflect the personal commitments I made when took up office.

First of all, the Commission is proposing that 2007 should be the "European Year of Equal Opportunities for All". Secondly, it has adopted a framework strategy on non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all.

The European Year will give new impetus to the concrete application of European anti-discrimination legislation.

Last year, some 50% of the responses to the Green Paper expressed a feeling that European legislation had only a limited impact in the field. This was a sign that effective transposition of the two directives adopted five years ago was still encountering too many delays and obstacles.

The Court has recently found four Member States guilty of failing to transpose the European legislation on ethnic or racial discrimination by the stipulated deadline. Such delays are unacceptable.

The Treaty calls for discrimination to be eliminated. Accordingly, legislation has been adopted and must be applied everywhere with the same level of effectiveness. This is my priority: before contemplating any new legislative initiatives, we must successfully meet the challenges posed by the implementation of the existing directives.

I will quote one example: the concept of "reasonable accommodation" at workstations in order to promote employment of disabled persons is far from being fully applied. This obligation, which is crucial in order to ensure equal rights for disabled people, is still not widely understood. For many Member States, it merely means the physical adaptation of workstations. But it can, for example, oblige an employer to grant an employee time off work for medical treatment.

When I assumed office I announced that the Commission would this year launch a study on the feasibility and benefits of new measures to complete the existing legal framework. This study will cover all forms of discrimination referred to in Article 13 of the Treaty. The preparatory work has already started, and preliminary conclusions are expected by the end of 2006.

A very large majority of the responses to the Green Paper emphasised the need to intensify Union action following enlargement. The situation of the Roma minorities in Europe was one of the main subjects raised in these responses. Some countries have adopted ambitious and courageous policies designed to overcome the prejudices inherited from centuries of history and build an inclusive society.

To encourage this movement the Commission, acting on my initiative, is going to create a group of qualified persons to draw up proposals for promoting better social and occupational integration for certain disadvantaged minorities. The composition and precise mandate of the group will be finalised before the end of this year.

Legislation alone will never be sufficient to reduce discrimination. We must all take action in order to enhance awareness of rights, boost the capacity of players in the field, and mobilise all the instruments at our disposal in order to achieve progress in non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all.

I hope that the European Year will be able to contribute to this collective effort to increase mobilisation and awareness.

The year 2007 will therefore be organised around four key themes:

Rights - we must make public opinion more aware of what the right to equal treatment and non-discrimination means in practice.

Representation - we must encourage debate on the means of achieving more equitable participation by groups that are under-represented in society.

Recognition - we must ensure that Europe celebrates and utilises its diversity as a wealth factor and an opportunity for the future.

Respect and tolerance - we must promote a society in which all constituent communities respect and enjoy good relations with each other, making for a society of increased solidarity.

Taking the European Year of People with Disabilities as a model, we will decentralise most activities and events in order to involve as many different players as possible. It is not too early for good ideas. I ask you all to start thinking about the activities you would like to organise during this European Year.

The European Year will also see the organisation of the first "Equality Summit". I hope that in future this will be a yearly event, allowing us to undertake an honest assessment of the progress made and of what we still need to achieve, with the involvement of civil society and all the stakeholders.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Europe cannot be content with formal equality. It must work towards achieving genuine equality for everyone. It is also our responsibility to demonstrate to our fellow-citizens that Europe is making progress in developing fundamental rights in the field, to the benefit of everyone.

I firmly believe that this conference will bring progress in this direction.