EU equal treatment law offers protection for elderly

3.47.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Tue 24th Jun 2008

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.

This is a salient issue in the UK as the Liberal Democrat MPs prepare to support the outlawing of age discrimination when the government decides to bring the Equalities Bill before Parliament.

Commenting on these developments London MEP and Liberal Democrat European justice spokeswoman Baroness Sarah Ludford MEP said:

"It is high time to end the 'hierarchy of protection' for different groups and

establish a comprehensive system without loopholes and anomalies. The Commission's announcement shows that Euro-MPs can exert real influence."

"Elderly people in the UK consistently receive poorer services from the NHS and in care homes. It is unacceptable that in the modern day an individual's access to good quality care or health services may be restricted because of their age. This draft directive once law should end this scandal.."

"The Directive would also greatly help British LGBT persons, especially when travelling around some EU countries where prejudice is sadly still rife."