* The arguments presented in favour of CETA simply don’t add up – Jean Lambert

The European Parliament’s Employment and Social Affairs Committee has today recommended that the European Parliament decline to give consent to CETA.

Their opinion will now be passed to the lead committee, International Trade, who will vote in January ahead of a final plenary vote on the agreement at the beginning of February.

Commenting after the vote, Greens/EFA Member of the Employment and Social Affairs Committee Jean Lambert said:

“The arguments presented in favour of CETA simply don’t add up. On working conditions, the deal is highly suspect. The Investor Court System would create additional rights for investors, without providing anything meaningful in response for workers, increasing the imbalance in rights and protections. It would also risk widening inequality. There are serious concerns that the deal could contribute towards the growth in income inequality, something that is already a huge problem in the EU. We are all for the creation of quality jobs, but the evidence that this deal would deliver on this is paper-thin.

“We expect the International Trade committee to take these concerns into account when they make their final recommendations to Parliament.”

 Greens/EFA trade spokesperson Yannick Jadot added:

“Today’s decision highlights again the many reasons why we have joined NGOs and civil society in opposing CETA. But it also highlights the problem with the way these decisions are made. Why is such a devastating opinion only being allowed to be heard this late in the day?

“The Parliament will have a final opportunity next year to show it is willing to put the common good first by refusing to give consent to CETA.”

The Greens/EFA group proposals for how to improve the procedure can be found here.

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Members of the European Parliament’s Civil Liberties Committee have today voted with a large majority to establish an EU road-map against homophobia and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity, including the need to deal with bullying in schools and workplaces.

Ms Lambert, a member of the committee which called for the plan, said:

“The UK has made a lot of progress in promoting LGBTI rights – including tackling homophobic bullying – over the years and has much to contribute towards an EU-wide policy.

“But there is room for improvement – particularly in schools, where homophobic bullying is all too frequent.

“The reality is that despite EU legislation to protect against discrimination based on sexual orientation, there is still massive discrimination, bullying and violence – in schools, workplaces and in everyday life situations in many parts of the EU.

“To address this, MEPs have today supported the call for an EU road-map against homophobia and discrimination based on sexual identity: the European Commission must finally outline a coherent approach at EU level, with concrete action.

“The strong support from almost all political groups for this report shows that homophobic tendencies in Europe are losing ground and a large majority in Europe no longer wants to accept this intolerance.

“Homophobic laws are unacceptable and cannot be tolerated in Europe. We now hope for broad support from all political groups for this important issue when Parliament votes as a whole in plenary.”

A final decision will be taken next year by the European Parliament as a whole.

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Speaking after the news emerged that the Supreme Court of India today ruled that homosexual acts were unlawful, Ms lambert said outlawing such discrimination should be the price of doing business with the EU.

Ms Lambert, who is a member of the European Parliament’s LGBT cross-party ‘Intergroup’ and a member of the Parliament’s Delegation to India, said:

“This is a backward step, and it must be overturned by MPs passing a simple, clear, law legalising same-sex relationships as soon as possible.

“This ruling is particularly disappointing from a development point-of-view, and when India is rising in its geopolitical and economic importance.

“If India is to keep on doing business with the EU it must act swiftly to deal with all discrimination – and become a real force for human rights in the world.

“This does exactly the opposite.”

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She made her comments at the launch of a European Network Against Racism (ENAR ) report at the European Parliament today.

“Islamaphobia, which often affects Muslim women and girls most, is visible and on the rise in many parts of Europe, as this latest data shows,” said Ms Lambert.

“We need all governments, and EU institutions, to make clear their commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion if we are to see much-needed progress on reducing racist violence and xenophobia  and hate-based behaviour.
“But here in the UK we are seeing exactly the opposite: barely a day goes by without this government saying it will deny healthcare, or welfare benefits, or even the right to free movement or a private family life, to citizens of some nationality or another.”

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Ms Lambert, who represents the Green Party, said boardroom quotas had worked elsewhere and were a good starting point in the struggle against discrimination in the workplace.

Speaking just days after ‘Equal Pay Day’ – the point in the year when the average woman has earned as much as the average man earns by the end of the year – the Green Party MEP said the attitude of the Women and Equalities Minister was ‘typical of the Tories’.

Commenting ahead of a keynote speech in which Ms Miller is expected to explain why the UK Government played a key role in forcing the European Commission to abandon plans to bring about a binding rule that 40% of top jobs should be held by women, Ms Lambert said:

“For Maria Miller to suggest that boardroom quotas are in some way patronising to women is typical of the Tory attitude to gender equality: ‘unless we can do everything we’ll do nothing’.

“Quotas in boardrooms aren’t the only answer to the workplace inequality faced by women, but they are concrete and achievable – and not a bad place to begin!”

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The Parliament voted with a large majority (430 for, 105 against). For the first time since the last European elections, all five mainstream political groups co-authored the text, including the centre-right EPP group.

Voting on the resolution today in Strasbourg,  MEPs from across the European Parliament united to strongly condemn “any discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity” and called on national governments to ensure that the LGBT community is protected from anti-gay speech and violence. The Parliament also condemned homophobic hate speech, violence, and murder.

The motion also insists that the European Commission takes positive steps to make progress on a vital piece of draft legislation which ensures the equal treatment of all people regardless of sexuality. The Anti-Discrimination Directive was successfully passed by the European Parliament in April 2009, but has since been blocked by the Council of Ministers.

The Parliament adopted its official position today after a debate on Tuesday, where MEPs almost unanimously asked the European Commission and European governments to better protect the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.

Just last week, the annual Pride March in Kiev, Ukraine was cancelled as police forces failed to protect   marchers from an estimated 500-1,000 violent far-right protesters. One organiser of the event was sprayed with mace, and another was brutally beaten up by anonymous thugs. On the 17th May, a bus carrying LGBT activists in Saint Petersburg was violently attacked, and two people were injured. In EU countries such as Lithuania, Latvia and Hungary as well as in Russia and Ukraine governments have voted for, or are considering, introducing laws that make it a penal or criminal offence to talk positively about homosexuality in public.

Jean Lambert, Green MEP for London and a member of the LGBT Intergroup in the European Parliament, co-signed the resolution and commented:

“Whilst the UK has made significant progress in creating equality before the law, many European citizens still suffer from homophobic attacks, abuse and mistreatment.  However, today’s vote proves that those who fan the flames of anti-gay hatred face concerted opposition.  The European Commission must now take concrete, positive steps to move forward with tangible measures such as the Anti-Discrimination Directive and the recognition of civil status partnerships to prove once and for all that intolerance and violence will not be accepted in the EU and should be opposed in other countries.”

Keith Taylor, Green MEP for South East England and a member of the LGBT Intergroup in the European Parliament commented:

“Last weeks’ IDAHOBIT day celebrations demonstrate how important it is that LGBT people can freely express their sexuality without fear. I’m appalled by the actions of some EU countries that are seeking to make such expression a criminal offence, but I take heart from the fact that the European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly to condemn these actions and has vowed to take further action to protect the right to freedom of expression.”

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MEPs also called upon the Commission to produce a comprehensive ‘roadmap’ against homophobia and discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.  The EU Charter of Fundamental Rights guarantees the right to equality for all LGBT people, yet research carried out by the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights concludes that LGBT people in the EU face discrimination and a vulnerability to verbal and physical attacks [1].

Jean Lambert MEP, member of the European Parliament Civil Liberties Committee, said: “EU law assures equal treatment for all people regardless of their sexual orientation in employment and training, yet the LBGT community remains open to discrimination across other areas of life.

“Whilst some Member States have made significant progress in creating equality before the law, aiming to stamp out discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, others have seen a rise in homophobic sentiments and attacks.  This is simply unacceptable.  All Member States and international organisations have a role to play in developing a climate where this kind of intolerance is rejected outright.  I welcome today’s resolution but was distressed to see how many Members voted against.  This demonstrates the need for action.”

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