European Left rejects equal treatment in anti-discrimination legislation in employment policy

Today, the Left-wing parties of the European Parliament rejected a proposal by Ádám Kósa MEP aiming to balance out anti-discrimination legislation and to promote equal opportunities in the field of employment policy. His Report aimed at placing equal importance on several discriminated groups. “It is hypocritical that the European Left does not intend to step up for several highly discriminated groups, including people with different beliefs and faiths, the elderly as well as people with different disabilities. The double standards of the Left-wing parties are unacceptable”, said Ádám Kósa MEP and Csaba Őry MEP, EPP Group Spokesman on employment policy.

Kósa's Own-Initiative Report was prepared for the evaluation of the implementation process regarding Council Directive 2000/78/EC on equal treatment in employment and occupation in Member States. Ádám Kósa was the first EPP Group Member appointed to carry out a draft Report on an issue which has historically always belonged to the Left: fighting anti-discrimination. The Report intended to bring attention to the most problematic parts of the implementation and placed special importance on several discriminated groups. Even though each and every unbiased compromise was supported by a majority during the votes, the Report was rejected in the end by the Socialists, Greens and Communists in the Employment and Social Affairs Committee.

”The EP has lost the opportunity to ensure a balanced standpoint in the field of anti-discrimination legislation. It is highly hypocritical that the Left does not intend to support several discriminated groups on an equal basis like it does in the case of people with different sexual orientation. More must be done to study and evaluate the situations of women with children, the elderly and religious groups as well as people with different disabilities. These Groups must bear all the responsibility and consequences of the unfair failure of the Report”, the MEPs continued.

“Same rights should not be confused with equal rights and opportunities. The current anti-discrimination legislation must be carefully taken into account and the rulings of the European Court of Justice must be followed. We cannot turn a blind eye to the demographic, economic and social challenges we are facing, like the European Left does”, said Kósa, the first-ever deaf Member of the European Parliament.

“The EPP Group has always wanted to create more efficient protection in the field of anti-discrimination by taking demographic challenges into account. The EPP Group aims to ensure better protection not only for people with different sexual orientation but for women with children as well as for people with disabilities, the elderly and people with different beliefs and faiths. This is a key priority for the EPP Group”, underlined Őry.