Proposed EU Home Affairs Commissioner pushed by local MEP on new antidiscrimination laws

2.31.34pm GMT Wed 20th Jan 2010

Liz Lynne has been campaigning for many years for laws to stop discrimination on any grounds in people's right to access and buy goods and services

Liberal Democrat MEP Liz Lynne, First Vice President of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee, has closely questioned Swedish Minister Cecilia Malmström, who has been put forward by Sweden to be the next EU Commissioner responsible for Home Affairs.

This week saw the final the Commissioner hearings, the process by which the European Parliament selects and approves who will be the powerful European Commissioners for the next 5 years.

Speaking after the hearing Liz said: "Following a long campaign by myself and other MEPs the European Commission last year came forward with a proposal to complete the laws we have and ban discrimination on all grounds in access to goods and services across the EU.

"It is vital that these proposals are now adopted by EU Member States, who have been dragging their feet. I am delighted that Cecilia Malmström gave her commitment at the hearing to working with other Commissioners to keep up the pressure for these vital new laws.

"I think Cecilia Malmström will make an excellent Commissioner and I look forward to working closely with her and other EU Commissioners to make sure we adopt this legislation as soon as possible, which will ban discrimination once and for all across the EU."

As West Midlands MEP, Liz Lynne has campaigned for new legislation to outlaw discrimination on the grounds of age, disability, religion or belief and sexual orientation in access to goods and services. Race and Gender discrimination are already covered by existing EU legislation.

In the UK we currently have no laws banning discrimination on the grounds of age in access to goods and services. Other EU Member States have a patchwork of anti discrimination legislation, meaning that UK citizens travelling abroad have less rights than they do at home.

ENDS