Discrimination

The European Parliament has adopted its latest annual report on implementation of rights for European citizens under EU law. One of the issues highlighted was the barriers that still exist for same-sex couples.

The report demands full freedom of movement with recognition of legal rights for same-sex couples and an end to Member States' obstruction of a 2004 EU law meant to achieve this.

Sarah Ludford, Vice President of the LGBT+ Liberal Democrat group commented:

“Due to disarray in the ranks of the European Socialist and Democratic group (S&D) to which the Labour party belong, the key relevant paragraph got deleted at committee stage due to the voting power of the right-wing parties.”

The UN Human Rights Committee has this week concluded that France violated the religious freedom of a French resident and Sikh Ranjit Singh by refusing to let him wear his turban for a photograph for a residence card. It has asked the French government to notify by March how it will remedy this human rights breach.

Welcoming the ruling Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman and London MEP Sarah Ludford said:

"It is shameful that Mr Singh's right to wear his turban was violated by the French authorities. Not only was his religious freedom violated but the denial of the residence card left him unable to access health care and benefits. This must be reversed and if it is not the EU must get involved."

London Liberal Democrat MEP Sarah Ludford a long-time campaigner for equal treatment for the EU's 10 million Roma people plus the 4 million in the Balkans and Turkey has called on International Roma Day (April 8th 2010) for determined EU action to eliminate the continued prejudice discrimination hostility and violence Roma people face and ensure they enjoy equal opportunities.

The second international Roma summit is taking place today in Spain which currently holds the rotating EU Presidency. These summits have their roots in the first major gathering of Roma representatives which took place in London in 1971.

Sarah Ludford said:

To mark International Holocaust Remembrance day Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman and London MEP Sarah Ludford a member of Liberal Democrat Friends of Israel said:

"The European Union created in the aftermath of WWII is based on the pledge that the Holocaust or Shoah must 'never happen again'. But it cannot be said that we are doing everything necessary to stop a repeat."

"Whether in the use of torture in the 'war on terror' harassment of immigrants or racial and religious violence people of the world continue to be at risk of inhuman and illegal treatment even at European hands or when we turn a blind eye."

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe is to debate and vote today on a report on equal rights for Europe's LGBT community. The report includes recommendations for the legal recognition of same-sex relationships and the adoption of children in homosexual relationships.

MEP for London Sarah Ludford who is Vice Chair of the Liberal Democrat LGBT group (DELGA) and an active member of the European Parliament lesbian & gay rights intergroup said:

Commenting on the popular vote to change the constitution so as to ban the building of minarets in Switzerland Sarah Ludford said:

"This vote is a victory for intolerance discrimination and restriction on freedom of religion and expression."

"It will surely and rightly fall foul of the European Convention on Human Rights even though the Strasbourg Court has in my opinion taken some unjustified decisions supporting bans on the wearing by individuals of religious symbols."

"To compare this dismaying vote in Switzerland with the Liberal-led Danish government's refusal to ban the 'Prophet Muhammad' cartoons in

2005 is completely misplaced. That represented the upholding of liberal and democrat values of free speech."

Mr President it is clearly right that we end the complicated patchwork of laws with different people protected against discrimination in different situations in favor of a single equality regime. The woman refused a bank loan the disabled person refused access to a building the gay man refused accommodation a black person barred from a club and so on should all be protected on the basis of similar principles.

London MEP Sarah Ludford Liberal Democrat European justice & human rights spokeswoman has for the third time pushed the European Commission as the watchdog of compliance with EU laws to challenge the UK's record in implementing a directive from 2000.

This generally outlaws discrimination at work on grounds of religion and sexual orientation as well as age and disability but has an opt-out allowing some limited discrimination to continue*. The Commission's latest reply says its analysis of UK transposition of the Directive 'is still on-going' but that it will if necessary 'use its powers to ensure compliance with the EC Treaty should it find that the UK laws go beyond the exceptions allowed under that Directive'.

Sarah Ludford commented:

Coinciding with World Elder Abuse Day the European Commission has confirmed that it intends to accept demands by MEPs and make a proposal soon for a far reaching anti-discrimination directive.

This new law will fill in the gaps in the current patchwork of EU measures and will outlaw discrimination against people as consumers of goods and services such as accommodation and healthcare to supplement the existing ban on workplace discrimination. It will extend to people who experience discrimination on grounds of disability age religious belief and sexual orientation the same protection that EU law already gives to those suffering unequal treatment due to race or gender.