Important achievements/events

“Stepping Stones and Roadblocks”: In 1999, ILGA-Europe, together with Mobility International(a federation of organisations of and for people with disabilities), joins a project application that UNITED for Intercultural Action submits, as the lead partner, to the European Commission under the proposal “preparatory measures aimed at combating and preventing discrimination in accordance with Article 13 of the Treaty”. The project is selected in December 1999. The three partner organisations carry out an ambitious programme all year 2000. It aims at comparing successes and failure factors in action against discrimination, and the various ways of working of the three movements. Current issues such as Article 13 follow-up action are also discussed at the three project seminars, each organised by one of the networks. ILGA-Europe again organises, with the support of HOSI Wien, a seminar in Vienna (21-25 June) for around 40 delegates. An extensive project report is published in three languages.

Implementation of Article 13: In November, the European Council finally adopts the first two Article 13 measures also dealing with “sexual orientation”: Council Directive 2000/78/EC establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation, and Council Decision 2000/750/EC establishing a Community action programme to combat discrimination (2001 to 2006). Lobbying, at all levels, for these two measures has again been one of the main priorities for ILGA-Europe in the whole year of 2000.

Core funding for ILGA-Europe: In order to bridge the time gap until this action programme is operational, the European Commission publishes a call for proposals – “support for the co-ordination activities of organisations operating at European level and active in fighting discrimination” – in April 2000. ILGA-Europe submits a grant application and is informed in August that it will receive, for the first time, core funding (for 12 months) as of 1 December and consequently, will at last be able to rent office space in

Brussels and hire employees. ILGA-Europe will continue to receiving core funding under the action programme until 2007.

The EU Charta of Fundamental Rights is finally adopted at the Nice summit in December but is not incorporated into the Treaties and, therefore, not legally binding. “Sexual orientation” is retained in the final wording of the adopted Charta. Article 21 reads as follows: Any discrimination based on any ground such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age or sexual orientation shall be prohibited.

Council of Europe: On 30 June and 26 September respectively, the Parliamentary Assembly adopts the two – historic – reports and recommendations mentioned under “1999”. ILGA-Europe has assisted the two rapporteurs, Ruth-Gaby Vermot-Mangold (Switzerland) and Tabajdi Csaba (Hungary), intensively with information for the reports and with drafting the recommendations.

Annual Conference in Bucharest, Romania

The conference (theme: “ACCEPTing Diversity”, 4-8 October) is organised by ACCEPT. Around 100 delegates from almost 30 countries participate. The conference causes enormous media attention. Four TV teams and international media, including CNN, BBC and Reuters, cover the event. The conference is the best protected in the history as counter demonstrations are announced. However, the opponents manage to mobilise only a few people who, kept on distance, are unable to disturb the conference. While Romanian politicians avoid the conference, the US ambassador to Romania and representatives of the Dutch and German embassies join a conference reception. Dutch Member of the European Parliament Joke Swiebel is one of the keynote panellists.

A new board is elected: Nico Beger (Germany), Adrian Relu Coman (Romania), Isabelle Cruette (France), Alessio de Giorgi (Italy), Tatjana Greif (Slovenia), Kurt Krickler (Austria), Jackie Lewis(United Kingdom) and Nigel Warner (United Kingdom).

Nigel is elected new treasurer. He is re-appointed into this post every year until he is retiring at the Paris conference in 2005.

Reserves: Alina Nistor (Romania), Anke Hintjens (Belgium) and Juris Lavrikovs (Latvia).