CzechRep launches campaign for European Year of Equality

The Czech Republic today officially launched its part of the EU campaign within the European Year of Equal Opportunities in 2007 with the aim to point to discrimination and promote equal chances for all people, Czech EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities Vladimir Spidla told reporters today.

The Czech campaign includes seven larger projects as well as seminars, conferences and festivals.

Spidla said that the EU countries have not yet succeeded to fulfil the idea of equal opportunities, but he added it is difficult to compare particular member states.

"According to surveys conducted by Eurobarometer, discrimination on grounds of age, ethnic origin and gender is regarded the most frequent in the Czech Republic," said Spidla, adding that discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation is, on the contrary, rare.

The Czech Republic still lacks the anti-discrimination law for which the country faces EU sanctions since the legislation should have been adopted with the Czech EU entry in 2004.

Minister without Portfolio Dzamila Stehlikova (Greens), in charge of minorities, said that the law could be passed this year. At present the Government Legislative Council is to debate the bill, then the cabinet will assess it and submit it to the Chamber of Deputies, she added.

The anti-discrimination law is to guarantee equal treatment and equal access to education, work, health care, welfare and housing and prevent discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation, physical disability, language, religion, political conviction, property, marital status as well as membership in political parties and trade unions.

"Discrimination is unacceptable. No one can be a second- or third-category citizen. This is a question of elementary democratic values and not of some political correctness," Spidla stressed.

The seven Czech projects prepared on the occasion of the European Year of Equal Opportunities include an information campaign to remove prejudices against Romanies, a study on discrimination against the disabled, courses for teachers as well as a series of documentaries and a spot on discrimination.

FOTO: ČT1