Markus Löning, the Federal Government Commissioner for Human Rights Policy and Humanitarian Aid at the Federal Foreign Office, today (7 July) accepted a petition from Amnesty International calling upon the German Government to support the adoption of the EU anti-discrimination directive. The Commissioner issued the following statement in response:

“We share the same goal: also in European Union countries, even more effective action must be taken to combat discrimination. For also within the European Union, ethnic and religious minorities, persons with disabilities, homosexuals, as well as women, face discrimination time and again.

In Germany, the necessary statutory provisions on combating discrimination have been implemented. I therefore do not believe that the planned new anti-discrimination directive is the right instrument to take us forward.

However, policy-makers and civil society in all EU countries must continue to work to ensure that discrimination is eliminated in all spheres.”