Le istituzioni locali e il mondo associativo per la costruzione di una rete in materia di cooperazione, cultura di pace, integrazione multietnica, promozione dei diritti umani e della solidarietà fra i popoli.
European Year of Equal Opportunities for All
(novembre 2007) 2007: è l'Anno Europeo delle Pari Opportunità per tutti...
In order to invite attention to a specific problem, the European Commission dedicates every year to a respective topic. Last year the focus was on creation of a European labour market and it was called the European Year of Workers’ Mobility.
The idea of the 2007 European Year of Equal Opportunities for All results from the discrepancy between well-developed anti-discrimination legislation in
Directives- In 2000 two European directives – the Racial Equality Directive and the Employment Equality Directive – were approved to guarantee a common minimum level of protection to EU citizens against all forms of discrimination. The directives were supported by measures for their practical realisation in the form of a Community Action Programme to combat discrimination (2001-2006). This initiative was prolonged for the 2007-2013 period within the frame of the Programme for Employment and Social Solidarity (PROGRESS) aiming to support financially the implementation of the EU objectives in the fields of employment and social affairs, including anti-discrimination and diversity issues (the forth section of the programme).
In 2004 the European Commission presented a Green Paper “Equality and non-discrimination for all in an enlarged EU” followed by a public consultation. As a result, a year later “Framework strategy for non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all” came into being to ensure that European anti-discrimination legislation is fully implemented and enforced.
The European Year 2007 has been designed to become the centrepiece of the framework strategy. The Year aims to make people more aware of their rights to enjoy equal treatment and a life free of discrimination, as well as to promote equal opportunities for all and to launch a major debate on the benefits of diversity both for European societies and individuals. A high level expert group was established to deal with good practices in the integration of disadvantaged ethnic groups in the labour markets. The High Level Group will present its report and recommendations at a closing conference of the Year of Equal Opportunities for All.
...and events- Events of the Year take place at EU, national and local levels, as decentralisation is one of the key principles of the campaign. Every country appointed national bodies responsible for implementation of national strategies related to the Year. In
The fight against discrimination will not be finished after the closing conference of the Year on 19-20 November. It will be continued within the frame of both the 2008 European Year of Intercultural Dialogue and other initiatives.
(Halina Sapeha)
