Subsidies for political parties that practise discrimination

7.11.2007

WRITTEN QUESTION E-5671/07
by Sophia in 't Veld (ALDE) , Michael Cashman (PSE) , Raül Romeva i Rueda (Verts/ALE) , Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert (ALDE) , Lissy Gröner (PSE) and Alexander Stubb (PPE‑DE)
to the Commission

Some political parties exclude women and LGBT people from positions in the party leadership and from holding political office.

Does the Commission consider that this practice constitutes discrimination on the basis of gender or sexual orientation and is thus an infringement of the Employment Equality Directive 2000/78/EC[1]?

Does the Commission consider that public funding for organisations that do not comply with anti‑discrimination legislation would constitute a breach of EC law, notably Article 13 ECT and the abovementioned directive?

• [1] OJ L 303, 2.12.2000, p. 16.

OJ C 191, 29/07/2008