IP/00/581

Brussels, June 06, 2000

Commission welcomes speedy accord on race discrimination rules

The European Commission has welcomed the Council of Ministers agreement today on a directive banning racial discrimination at the workplace and beyond. Speaking in Luxembourg, EU Employment and Social Policy Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou said "This agreement, only a year after the Amsterdam Treaty came into force, is a clear sign of the commitment of the Community institutions to people's fundamental rights. The directive will strengthen protection against racial discrimination across the Community and shows that we can make a practical and positive difference to the everyday lives of our people."

This Directive is the first measure to be adopted under the new powers to combat discrimination introduced by the Amsterdam Treaty. It prohibits racial discrimination in the areas of employment, education, social security, healthcare and access to goods and services and ensures that victims of discrimination will have rights of redress in all Member States. It also requires Member States to designate a body for the promotion of equal treatment which will provide independent assistance to victims of discrimination in pursuing complaints.

Anna Diamantopoulou said : "All Member States have some form of ban on racial discrimination. But the scope of their laws and in particular their enforceability - vary greatly. This directive reinforces the Union's fundamental values of liberty, democracy and the rule of law. And it will promote economic and social cohesion by ensuring that people in all Member States enjoy a basic level of protection against discrimination, including comparable rights of redress."

The Directive on racial and ethnic discrimination will provide a minimum level of protection against racial discrimination common to all Member States. It will:

• Define direct and indirect discrimination

• Give victims of discrimination a right of redress through a judicial or administrative procedure, associated with appropriate sanctions for those who discriminate

• Shift the burden of proof (in civil cases) once a prima facie case of discrimination has been made out by a complainant and accepted by the court or other instance

• Provide protection against harassment and victimisation

• Cover discrimination in employment and training, education, social protection (including security and healthcare), social advantages and the supply of and access to goods and services, including housing

• Require the Member States to provide information on their territory about the measures they adopt to fight discrimination

• Require Member States which have not already done so to establish bodies for the promotion of equal treatment which will provide independent assistance to the victims of discrimination, conduct surveys and studies and publish reports and recommendations.

Member States have three years from the entry into force of the directive in which to take the necessary measures to implement it.