All you need to know about the Year

Background

The European Year is the centrepiece of a framework strategy on non-discrimination and equal opportunities presented by the Commission in June 2005[1]. Both the European Year and the overall framework strategy aim to provide a new drive towards ensuring the full application of EU anti-discrimination legislation[2], which has witnessed much progress in recent years but has also encountered many obstacles and delays.

The Year and the strategy represent a direct follow-up to the public consultation carried out by the Commission in 2004[3], to seek views about how the EU could further contribute to combating discrimination and to promoting equal treatment. In particular, the European Year responds to one of the key issues raised by respondents: the need for further awareness-raising initiatives to tackle discriminatory attitudes and behaviour, and for informing people about their legal rights and obligations.

> Read the decision on the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All (2007)- towards a just society, May 2006

Themes and focus of the Year

Activities will be organised around four core themes:

Rights: raising public awareness about EU legislation on equality and non-discrimination and the rights and obligations that this legislation confers

Representation: stimulating a debate on how to boost the participation of under-represented groups in all sectors and at all levels of society and highlighting the need to promote and develop policies and initiatives to increase their participation

Recognition: highlighting the positive contribution that diversity makes to society, as a source of socio-economic vitality

Respect and tolerance: promoting a more tolerant and cohesive society

Grounds of discrimination covered

The Year will focus on the discrimination individuals or groups suffer owing to their race or ethnic origin, religion or belief, age, gender, sexual orientation or disability. At both European and national level, treatment of discrimination grounds should be balanced to ensure that most of the activities do not concentrate on a single or only small set of grounds. The Year will also seek to address the issue of multiple discrimination.

Gender issues should be included in all activities undertaken.

How will the Year be implemented?

The Year will be implemented on the basis of four key principles:

Decentralisation. In order to reach out to citizens as much as possible and meet the specific priorities and needs of each of the Member States, most activities will be coordinated, defined and funded nationally and implemented at the national, regional or local levels. In this regard every Member State has appointed a National Implementing Body, which is responsible for defining the national strategy and priorities and implementing activities in the country concerned.

Active involvement of civil society and key stakeholders in the design and implementation of the Year. At national level, civil society organisations can participate via the National Implementing Bodies. The Bodies will include, regularly consult and closely cooperate with civil society organisations, including organisations defending or representing the interests of those who are potentially exposed to discrimination and unequal treatment.

Balanced treatment of discrimination grounds. The Year will focus on the discrimination individuals or groups suffer owing to their race or ethnic origin, religion or belief, age, gender, sexual orientation or disability. At both European and national level, treatment of discrimination grounds should be balanced to ensure that most of the activities do not concentrate on one single or only a few grounds. The Year will also seek to address the issue of multiple discrimination.

Gender mainstreaming. Gender issues should be included in all activities undertaken.

Types of activities

The activities developed during the Year will include:

At national level:

Meetings and events, such as the conference to mark the launch of the European Year or a seminar to discuss anti-discrimination training methods;
Information and educational campaigns, such as a business diversity award or an anti-discrimination slogan competition for young people;
Surveys and studies on discrimination and diversity issues.

These activities will be co-financed by the EU to a maximum of 50% of the projects’ cost.

At European level activities will include: a pan-European information campaign on anti-discrimination policies and legislation; conferences and events; an "Equality summit" gathering ministers, equality bodies, civil society and social partners to consider the themes of equal opportunities and non-discrimination; new Eurobarometer surveys to discover Europeans' attitudes towards discrimination.

Budget

The total budget for the Year is of 15M € which will be distributed as follows:

7.65M € for activities at local, regional and national level. These activities could be financed by the European Union to a maximum of 50% of the total cost. It means that these funds will be matched by co-funding from national public and private sources.

Allocation of funds to each Member State will be based on the number of votes they have at the Council. The amounts received will range from 120,000 euros for small Member States to around 620,000 euros for big Member States.

7.35M € for the EU level.

> go to the official website of the European Year

[1] Communication “Non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all- A framework strategy”, COM(2005)224 final.

[2] The Racial Equality Directive (2000/43/EC), prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin, and the Employment Equality Directive (2000/78/EC), prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation.

[3] Green Paper Equality and non-discrimination for all in an enlarged EU COM(2004)379.