Directive (EU) 2024/1500 on standards for equality bodies in the field of equal treatment and equal opportunities between women and men in matters of employment and occupation

What it is

to establish standards for equality bodies in matters of equal treatment between women and men in matters of employment, occupation, including self-employment. PROPOSED ACT: Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council. ROLE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT: the European Parliament decides in accordance with the ordinary legislative procedure and on an equal footing with the Council. BACKGROUND: equality bodies play a key role in the EU's anti-discrimination architecture. The Committee on Employment and Social Affairs and the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality adopted the report jointly presented by Marc ANGEL (S&D, LU) and Sirpa PIETIKÄINEN (EPP, FI) on the proposal for a directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on standards for equality bodies in the field of equal treatment and equal opportunities between women and men in matters of employment and occupation, and deleting Article 20 of Directive 2006/54/EC and Article 11 of Directive 2010/41/EU. The committee responsible recommended that the European Parliament's position adopted at first reading under the ordinary legislative procedure should amend the proposal as follows: The Directive lays down minimum requirements for the functioning of equality bodies to improve their effectiveness and guarantee their mandate, competences, independence and autonomy in order to strengthen the application of the principle of equal treatment enshrined in the TEU, the TFEU and the Charter and as derived from Directives 2006/54/EC and 2010/41/EU. Member States should ensure that when complying with their obligations under this Directive and when equality bodies exercise their tasks thereunder the principle of equal treatment applies to all persons in all their diversity, irrespective of their sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics. - are visible and involved at all stages and shall allow for full transparency and accountability in the process where they are part of national bodies responsible for the promotion of human rights or the protection of individuals' rights; - cover single or multiple grounds of discrimination with a clear and appropriate focus on each of the grounds; - ensure gender parity in leadership and senior management positions reflecting the diversity of society at large. To ensure the transparency of these staff selection processes, for example, vacancy notices should be published and experts working with groups at risk of discrimination should be consulted throughout these processes. - be totally independent, autonomous and free from any external influence in the performance of their tasks and in the definition of their objectives and actions; - not be set up within a ministry, a government agency or a body taking or seeking instructions from the government. Each equality body should have budgetary and financial autonomy and be provided with the stable human, material, technical and financial resources necessary to perform all its tasks and to exercise all its competences effectively, on all the grounds and in all fields covered. Member States should ensure that equality bodies are allocated their budget in a…

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