Commissioner designate Ms Jourová: Committed to unblock the Equality Directive, but what about hate crime?
Ahead of the European Parliaments hearing of Ms Vĕra Jourová, Commissioner designate for Justice, Consumers and Gender Equality, we proposed to MEPs to ask the following question:
Based on the Framework Decision 2008/913/JHA criminalises violence on the basis of racism and xenophobia, the proposed Article 19 Anti-discrimination directive and the Victim’s Directive: Are you committed to present a proposal to the European Council to combat hate crime and bias violence on all grounds by means of criminal law?
We see with great concern the fact that the question was not put forward by the responsible LIBE Committee and that Ms Jourová did not address it herself. She responded to specific questions regarding e.g. disability, national minorities and Roma but the issue of hate crime and bias violence was not addressed.
She did though raised some other areas of interest for us, in particular a committment to the Horizontal Anti-Discrimination Directive.
- 'Determined to see the Horizontal Anti-Discrimination Directive adopted' and will make renewed efforts to enable the Council to reach the necessary agreement
- The European Women's Lobby welcomed Ms Jourová commitment to renew and strengthen the EU Strategy for Equality between Women and Men and aim to put the Women on Boards Directive back on the agenda with a view to its adoption in 2015. Both Ms. Jourová and Ms. Thyssen (Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility), expressed their commitment to work together to negotiate with the Member States and unblock the proposed Maternity Leave Directive.
More information:
