Important achievements/events

Core funding: The EU funding of around € 200,000 makes a huge difference and boosts the development of ILGA-Europe in a dramatic and sustainable way: In February, ILGA-Europe moves into own office premises in Brussels (Tervurenlaan 94) which are officially opened with a big reception on 27 June, and two employees start to work: Mette Vadstrup and Olivier Collet.

Important “firsts” made possible by the core funding include: In May, the first issue of the Newsletter is published, in July the first meeting of ILGA-Europe’s EU National Co-ordination Network takes place in Brussels.

A leaflet introducing the organisation is published in five languages. In addition, ILGA-Europe’s website undergoes a complete makeover both in terms of contents and design, and gets its own web address: www.ilga-europe.org

EU accession: Lobbying in the context of EU enlargement becomes a priority. In March, ILGA-Europe publishes its booklet “Equality for Lesbians and Gay Men: A Relevant Issue in the EU Accession Process” containing reports on all 13 candidate countries.

ILGA-Europe also contributes significantly to the European Parliament hearing “EU Enlargement: A Gay Perspective” in Brussels on 28 June, organised by a group of MEPs led by Joke Swiebel, Michael Cashman and Patsy Sörensen. The report of the hearing is later presented at the annual conference in Rotterdam.

Asylum, migration and free movement: The EU Amsterdam Treaty provides for the “establishment of the European area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ)” and the creation of common rules for asylum and immigration by 2004. This area becomes another priority of ILGA-Europe. In November, the first of six position papers, drafted by Mark Bell, on relevant European Commission proposals is published.

The many opportunities offered by the EU are also the topic of a one-day colloquium – “Lesbians and Gay Men and the European Union” – co-organised by ILGA-Europe and HOSI Wien during the EuroPride festival in Vienna on 24 June. MEPs Sarah Ludford and Joke Swiebel and legal experts Kees Waaldijk and Mark Bell are among the high-level panellists.

Annual Conference in Rotterdam, the Netherlands

The conference (theme: “Creating Partnership”, 24-28 October) is organised by COC Nederland. Around 120 delegates from 31 countries participate.

Dutch MEPs Lousewies van der Laan and Joke Swiebel, Dutch MP Boris Dittrich, and Renée Jones-Bos, human rights ambassador at the Dutch Foreign Office, address the conference as well as legal expert Robert Wintemute, another long-time supporter of ILGA-Europe’s work.

A new board is elected:

Tiia Aarnipuu (Finland), Nico Beger (Germany), Adrian Relu Coman (Romania), Riccardo Gottardi (Italy), Tatjana Greif (Slovenia), Kurt Krickler (Austria), Jackie Lewis(United Kingdom) and Nigel Warner (United Kingdom).

Reserves:

Ali Jarvis (United Kingdom), Anke Hintjens(Belgium) and Miran Šolinc (Slovenia).