Commission U-turn on anti-discrimination law 

Speaking at a hearing in the Parliament's civil liberties committee, the designated Commissioner for Justice and Home Affairs Jacques Barrot said Employment Commissioner Vladimir Špidla will present a cross-cutting directive to outlaw discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, ethnicity, religion, disability, age or sexual orientation on 2 July. 

"All discrimination is serious, and deserves to be fought with the same determination," Barrot said, pointing out that the directive will also address homophobia and will not be restricted to the workplace. 

He urged MEPs to support the initiative, as they have repeatedly reminded Commission President José Manuel Barroso of his pledge to make anti-discrimination a priority this year. 

The new commitment to covering discrimination beyond the workplace represents a U-turn for the Commission, as in April it signalled its intention to backtrack on its initial ambition to present a complex 'horizontal directive' due to resistance from conservative member states. 

It had instead proposed to offer protection against discrimination only on disability grounds, sparking strong opposition from MEPs. 

To become law throughout the EU, the directive would first require approval by the Council. 

The vice president of Parliament's Employment Committee, British Liberal MEP Liz Lynne, who initiated the recent Parliament report, welcomed the Commission's proposal, saying non-discrimination and equal treatment are principles that lie at the heart of the EU. 

"The challenge now is to ensure that the proposal is workable and achieves its aims." 

British Socialist MEP Richard Howitt also expressed his satisfaction with the Commission's intitiative, saying there should not be a hierarchy between different forms of discrimination. "I will not support legislation which will divide and rule," he said. 

Support also came from the Dutch Green MEP Kathalijne Buitenweg, saying she was "incredibly proud" to have convinced the Commission that a horizontal directive was needed tackling all forms of discrimination. 

The initiative also found backing among civil society organisations and trade unions which had pressed hard for a broader approach.