2002

Important achievements/events

ILGA-Europe launches its full “area of freedom, security and justice (AFSJ)” campaign to gain equality of treatment for LGBT EU citizens and their partners/families in the field of immigration and free movement, proposing amendments to the Commission’s draft directives. The lobbying campaign is also targeted at national governments, the European Parliament, the Commission and the Presidency of the EU.

ILGA-Europe also launches a campaign on the recognition of LGBT refugees in the new EU asylum directives.

ILGA-Europe launches a campaign directed at the Convention on the “Future of Europe”.

The EU National Co-ordination Network holds its annual meeting in Brussels in April.

A seminar for representatives of governments and NGOs from the 13 accession countries is co-organised with the TAIEX office of the European Commission’s DG Enlargement in Brussels in July.

The Gay and Lesbian Rights Intergroup of the European Parliament is re-launched in September. ILGA-Europe starts to take part in the Intergroup meetings on a regular basis again.

New staff:

Ailsa Spindler starts working as executive director in June, Licínia Pereira as policy and research officer in September. Information officer Mette Vadstrup leaves ILGA-Europe.

Publications:

Four issues of the ILGA-Europe Newsletter and Euro-Letter # 95-103 are published. ILGA-Europe also publishes its policy paper “After the Framework Directive: Combating discrimination outside employment” in April.

Annual Conference in Lisbon, Portugal

The conference (theme: “Recognising Diversity, Promoting Equality”, 23-27 October) is organised by Opus Gay. Around 130 delegates from 31 countries participate. While Portugal’s government parties do not send representatives to the conference, members of Parliament from opposition parties address the opening plenary.

Patron of the conference is Peter Schieder, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. He receives standing ovations for his speech in a panel on “promoting LGBT rights in Europe”. In an award ceremony 22 individuals are honoured who had challenged injustice before the European Court of Human Rights. Schieder hands over certificates to four of them present at the conference: Jeffrey Dudgeon, Alecos Modinos, João Manuel Salgueiro da Silva Mouta and Philippe Fretté.

A new board is elected:

Tiia Aarnipuu (Finland), Maxim Anmeghichean (Moldova), Nico Beger (Germany), Riccardo Gottardi (Italy), Tatjana Greif (Slovenia), Kurt Krickler (Austria), Jackie Lewis(United Kingdom) and Nigel Warner (United Kingdom).

Reserves:

Ali Jarvis (United Kingdom) and Pierre Noël(Belgium).