Skip to main content

European Equality Law Network

European network of legal experts in gender equality and non-discrimination

Privacy statement

Why this statement?

Human European Consultancy collects personal data through this website and uses cookies.    

This privacy statement explains which data are collected, why and how these data are managed, used and protected. 

All data are handled with great care and in conformity with the Dutch General Data Protection Regulation. 

Why does Human European Consultancy collect your personal data, what are these used for and will these be processed and stored?

Human European Consultancy collects and uses personal data provided by visitors of the website. Data that have been provided through this website will only be send to an e-mail address of Human European Consultancy and are processed and stored only for the purpose for which these have been provided. 

Personal data will be used by employees for internal operational processes. It could be essential to enter your personal data into a system that Human European Consultancy uses for its administration. Your personal data will not be entered into a system if it is not essential. 

The systems are protected with a personal login and password. In addition, employees do not have access to every system. They only have access to the systems they need for doing the tasks belonging to their position. 

Your personal data will not be shared with or provided to organizations outside Human European Consultancy, except when it serves the purpose for which your personal data was collected or when the law requires Human European Consultancy to do so. 

Your personal data will not be kept longer than needed, in conformity with Article 5, section 1c of the General Data Protection Regulation. 

Cookies to improve the functioning of the website 

The website uses cookies. These cookies guarantee that the website works properly. 

The website registers in logfiles each visit of a page, together with the IP address of the visitor to detect errors and security of the site. The logfiles are deleted after a week. 

Analytical cookies 

To improve the website Google analytics is used for collecting statistical data. This is done under a third party processing agreement which excludes exchange of data with other Google services. Your IP address and time spent on the website will be saved. However, these data are anonymous. 

How can you view, change and delete your personal data?

 You have the right to view, change or delete your personal data. If you want to make use of this right or if you have any questions regarding your personal data, please contact Human European Consultancy and email to the following email address: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Updating this privacy statement

A more comprehensive privacy policy statement is available is Dutch and can be downloaded here.

Human European Consultancy can always update this privacy statement according to new laws, legislation and/or work procedures. This privacy statement was last updated, and is effective as of May 22nd, 2018.

Order publications

Thank you for your interest in ordering our European equality law review!

Ordering information will be available shortly so please check back with us.

Thematic reports

 

Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho, Petra Foubert and Susanne Burri (February 2015)

Publication date: 27 February 2015. Topics

Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho, Petra Foubert et Susanne Burri (février 2015)

Publication date: 27 February 2015. Topics

Maria do Rosário Palma Ramalho, Petra Foubert und Susanne Burri (Februar 2015)

Publication date: 27 February 2015. Topics

Lilla Farkas and Orlagh O'Farrell (December 2014)

Publication date: 2 December 2014. Topics

Lilla Farkas et Orlagh O'Farrell (décembre 2014)

Publication date: 2 December 2014. Topics

Lilla Farkas und Orlagh O'Farrell (Dezember 2014)

Publication date: 2 December 2014. Topics

Dorota Pudzianowska and Krzysztof Smiszek, supervised and edited by Christa Tobler (December 2014)

Publication date: 2 December 2014. Topics

Dorota Pudzianowska et Krzysztof Smiszek (décembre 2014)

Publication date: 2 December 2014. Topics

Susanne Burri and Sacha Prechal 

Publication date: 1 January 2014. Topics

Susanne Burri and Helga Aune (November 2013)

Publication date: 1 November 2013. Topics

Emmanuelle Bribosia and Isabelle Rorive, Supervised by Lisa Waddington (September 2013)

Publication date: 3 September 2013. Topics

Emmanuelle Bribosia et Isabelle Rorive sous la supervision de Lisa Waddington (septembre 2013)

Publication date: 3 September 2013. Topics

Emmanuelle Bribosia und Isabelle Rorive. Beratung: Lisa Waddington (September 2013)

Publication date: 3 September 2013. Topics

Aileen McColgan, supervised by Migration Policy Group (September 2013)

Publication date: 3 September 2013. Topics

 Aileen McColgan sous la supervision du Migration Policy Group (septembre 2013)

Publication date: 3 September 2013. Topics

Aileen McColgan, Beratung: Migration Policy Group (September 2013)

Publication date: 3 September 2013. Topics

Julie Ringelheim and Nicolas Bernard (February 2013)

Publication date: 5 February 2013. Topics

Julie Ringelheim et Nicolas Bernard (février 2013)

Publication date: 5 February 2013. Topics

Annick Masselot, Eugenia Caracciolo Di Torella and Susanne Burri (November 2012)

Publication date: 2 November 2012. Topics

Comparative analyses

The comparative analyses provide a summary of the state of affairs of non-discrimination and gender equality law in the 28 EU Member States, Albania, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey. The analyses give an overview of the key issues, include the latest and most important legal developments at the national level such as case law and legislative amendments, and illustrate and assess the evolution of non-discrimination and gender equality law.  

The 27 EU Member States, Croatia, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Turkey compared

Publication date: 1 October 2012. Topics

Law reviews

This second issue of the 2020 European Equality Law Review provides an overview of legal and policy developments in the field of gender equality and non-discrimination across Europe from 1 January to 30 June 2020.

It furthermore contains four in-depth analytical articles. The first article, by David Oppenheimer from the Berkley Centre on Comparative Equality and Anti-discrimination Law, discusses how the Covid-19 Pandemic has disproportionally affected disadvantaged people, particularly women of ethnic minorities and colour in the US. The second article, by Alexandra Timmer, Linda Senden, Birte Böök and Franka van Hoof of the gender equality coordination team of Utrecht University, looks at how the Covid-19 pandemic has affected gender equality in the EU from a EU law perspective. The third article, by Jakub Tomšej, the non-discrimination expert for Czechia, examines the sanction systems under the Racial Equality and Employment Equality Directives, comparing legislation and practice in Czechia, Poland and Slovakia. The last article, by diversity and inclusion consultant Yamam Al-Zubaidi, provides an analytical overview of the potential uses of ethnic data and its practical effects in discrimination cases, with a particular focus on Sweden and the United Kingdom but also drawing from experiences in Finland, France and Germany.

To receive hard copies of the European equality law review and be added to our mailing list to automatically receive future issues, please visit our order page

Issue No. 12 - July 2011

Publication date: 29 July 2011. Topics

Issue No. 1 - May 2011

Publication date: 1 May 2011. Topics

Issue No. 11 - December 2010

Publication date: 14 February 2011. Topics

Issue No. 2 - December 2010

Publication date: 22 December 2010. Topics

Issue No. 10 - July 2010

Publication date: 11 July 2010. Topics

Issue No. 1 - June 2010

Publication date: 1 June 2010. Topics

Issue No. 9 - December 2009

Publication date: 11 December 2009. Topics

Issue No. 2 - December 2009

Publication date: 1 November 2009. Topics

Issue No. 8 - July 2009

Publication date: 11 July 2009. Topics

Issue No. 1 - June 2009

Publication date: 1 June 2009. Topics

Issue No. 2 - November 2008

Publication date: 1 November 2008. Topics

Issue No. 6/7 - October 2008

Publication date: 11 October 2008. Topics

Issue No.1 - August 2008

Publication date: 1 August 2008. Topics

Publications

Law reviews

This second issue of the 2020 European Equality Law Review provides an overview of legal and policy developments in the field of gender equality and non-discrimination across Europe from 1 January to 30 June 2020. It furthermore contains four in-depth analytical articles.

Most recent publication:

European equality law review No. 2 | 2020

Cover image of European equality law review

Published:
November 2020

Download this publication

More European equality law reviews

Thematic reports

The thematic reports published by the Network provide an in-depth analysis of a variety of themes in the non-discrimination and/or gender equality field. The thematic reports for 2020 are Indirect sex discrimination in employment, author Jule Mulder (forthcoming); Algorithmic discrimination in Europe: challenges and opportunities for gender equality and non-discrimination law, authors Janneke Gerards and Raphaële Xenidis (forthcoming); Age discrimination law outside the employment field, author Elaine Dewhurst (forthcoming); Sexual orientation discrimination law outside the labour market, author Peter Dunne (published).

Most recent publication:

Sexual orientation discrimination law outside the labour market

Cover image of Sexual orientation discrimination law outside the labour market

Published:
2020

Peter Dunne

Download this publication

More thematic reports

Comparative analyses

Most recent publications:

A comparative analysis of non-discrimination law in Europe 2019 A comparative analysis of the implementation of EU non-discrimination law in the EU Member States, Albania, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey

Cover image of A comparative analysis of non-discrimination law in Europe 2019

Published: April 2020

Download this publication

A comparative analysis of gender equality law in Europe 2019 A comparative analysis of the implementation of EU gender equality law in the EU Member States, Albania, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway, Serbia and Turkey

Cover image of A comparative analysis of gender equality law in Europe 2019

Published: May 2020

Download this publication

More comparative analyses

Links

European Commission, DG Justice and Consumers
Tackling discrimination: http://ec.europa.eu/justice/discrimination/index_en.htm
Gender equality: https://ec.europa.eu/info/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/gender-equality_en

European Court of Justice
http://curia.europa.eu

European Court of Human Rights
http://www.echr.coe.int/Pages/home.aspx?p=home

European Committee of Social Rights
http://www.coe.int/t/dghl/monitoring/socialcharter/ecsr/ecsrdefault_EN.asp

Equinet - European network of equality bodies
If you consider that you have been a victim or a witness of an act of discrimination we would suggest that you contact the national equality body in your country of residence via the following link: https://equineteurope.org/members-map/ 

More information is available here: https://equineteurope.org/what-are-equality-bodies/european-directory-of-equality-bodies/

FRA - European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
http://fra.europa.eu/en


 

About us

The European network of legal experts in gender equality and non-discrimination, established in December 2014, combines two previously existing networks: the European Network of Legal Experts in the Non-discrimination Field and the European Network of Legal Experts in the field of Gender Equality.

The gender equality network has a long history. It started in 1983, focussing on the implementation at national level of the series of directives that have been adopted since 1975 on equal treatment between women and men and on the cases on sex discrimination decided by the Court of Justice. With its experienced experts the network assisted the Commission in its task to monitor the correct implementation of the gender equality acquis communautaire. In 1983, only 6 Member States were participating in this network, in contrast to the 36 countries that are now included in the network.

The network of legal experts on non-discrimination was established in 2004 with the main aim to provide the Commission with independent advice on all the grounds of discrimination covered by Directive 2000/43/EC and Directive 2000/78/EC. The network was a follow-up to three separate networks, one of which dealt with racial or ethnic origin and religion or belief, one with disability and one with sexual orientation.

After a period of increasingly closer cooperation during the years 2012 - 2014 the gender equality and the non-discrimination networks merged into the current network covering all discrimination grounds in the EU Treaties.

The network ensures a regular overview of state of affairs regarding the transposition of EU equality and non-discrimination law on a country by country basis in the annual country reports and comparative analyses, whereas more recent reporting can be found in the legal developments section of the website and the key developments section of the bi-annual European Equality Law Review. Topical issues are addressed in article in the Equality Law Review and thematic reports that are published on the website and presented and discussed during the annual legal seminar.

The overall operation of the network is governed by Human European Consultancy, the School of Law of Utrecht University and the Migration Policy Group.

General coordination - Human European Consultancy

Position Name Email
General Coordinator Marcel Zwamborn
Project manager for non-discrimination Ivette Groenendijk
Project manager for gender equality Yvonne van Leeuwen-Lohde
Project management assistant Rebecca van Midden

Coordination gender equality - Utrecht University

Position Name Email
Specialist coordinator gender equality Linda Senden
Content coordinator for gender equality law Alexandra Timmer
Research editor gender equality law Franka van Hoof
Research editor gender equality law Birte Böök

Coordination non-discrimination - Migration Policy Group

Position Name Email
Specialist coordinator non-discrimination law Isabelle Chopin
Research editor non-discrimination law Catharina Germaine

Executive committee of senior experts

Position Name Email
Racial or ethnic origin Lilla Farkas
Age Elaine Dewhurst
Religion or belief Isabelle Rorive
Gender equality law Susanne Burri
Sexual orientation Peter Dunne
Disability Lisa Waddington
EU and human rights law Christopher McCrudden
Social security Frans Pennings
EU law and expertise on sex, gender identity and gender expression in relation to trans and intersex people Christa Tobler

 

Legal developments

Separate sleeping rooms and sanitary facilities for women

Constitutionality of the ban of political, philosophical or religious symbols in a school of higher education in order to create a neutral environment

Cancelling of public conference by local public center due to the presence among the speakers of a trans activist

Following NCCD decision against the Ministry of Education, a procedure was adopted to ensure adaptation of the national evaluation exams for pupils with disabilities and SEN

Publication date: 21 July 2020. Topics

In the context of a methodology issued by the Ministry of Education to ensure special places for Roma children to access high school and university, the NCCD analysed the duty to adopt similar measures in relation to children with special educational needs

Publication date: 21 July 2020. Topics

Protection of victims of violence against women during and after state of emergency

In order to address financial barriers that victims of domestic violence may face and which may be a reason for not pursuing their case in court, the Government will offer a legal aid service by specially trained lawyers who will be engaged for this purpose

Publication date: 21 July 2020. Topics

Working groups have been nominated to prepare amendments to the Sickness Insurance Act provisions on family related social security, which will impact the Employment Contracts Act

Report on integration and discrimination of immigrants, as seen by both majority and immigrant population

By introducing the concept of ‘birth sex’, the amendment of the Registry Act makes the legal recognition of gender change impossible in Hungary

Publication date: 14 July 2020. Topics

Additional parental leave to support parents during the COVID-19 pandemic

Work-Life Balance
Social Security
Domestic violence and violence against women

Less favourable retirement age for male Greek public servants constitutes direct gender discrimination in pay – Levelling up

Publication date: 14 July 2020. Topics

Discrimination of Sami people, Kvens and Finns in the northernmost region of Norway, Troms and Finnmark

Land Berlin Non-Discrimination Law (Landesantidiskriminierungsgesetz)

Whether Hungary’s plans to prevent courts from imposing pecuniary compensation for fundamental rights violations in education are in compliance with the EU acquis

Whether damages are payable to individual victims of educational segregation to compensate for the disadvantages they suffered as a result of the segregation

With the closure of all schools and child-care centres during the COVID-19 pandemic, many parents were forced to stay at home in order to look after their children. The Government set up a Parent Benefit for parents employed in the private sector of Malta, with children under 16 years of age, who were not able to work from home and who due to the impact of COVID-19, after 8 March 2020 could not go to work to take care of their children

Measures taken in the context of COVID-19 have affected vulnerable groups in a particularly negative way

On 30 April 2020, the Polish Parliament passed legislation amending the Code of Civil Procedure and some other acts, providing for the possibility of the police issuing an order for the perpetrator of violence to leave the premises occupied together with the victim, without the need to initiate criminal proceedings

Publication date: 17 June 2020. Topics

Liechtenstein Government decided to sign the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities on 26 May 2020

Implementation of policies and measures concerning the equality and inclusion of Roma living in marginalised communities

Caring benefits more generous during COVID 19 quarantine

The legality of the conditions of eviction of illegal camp occupied by a Roma family

Discrimination against tenants on the basis of their actual or perceived nationality

Monitoring of discrimination cases concerning public and private sector on behalf of the competent Equality Body

Significant increase of domestic violence against women during the lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic

Survivor’s right to tell the story v. perpetrator’s honour and dignity

Female salaried lawyers not entitled to adequate maternity allowance in breach of Article 11(2)(b) Directive 92/85/EEC due to the non-adoption of the Single Benefits Regulation by the general social security scheme ‘EFKA’ since 01.01.2017

Relocation of the Office of the Government Plenipotentiary for Equal Treatment within the governmental administrative structure: from the Chancellery of the Prime Minister to the Ministry of Family, Labour and Social Policy

Among anti-COVID-19 measures, the government introduced recommended and mandatory time slots for grocery shopping for persons defined by age and disability

Whether the contents and implementation of equal opportunity plans adopted by certain employers can be examined and assessed by the Equal Treatment Authority

Home

Welcome!

In order to effectively promote equality and tackle discrimination in the European Union it is important to understand the effects of the EU's equal treatment and non-discrimination legislation.

The European Commission therefore set up the former network of legal experts in gender equality and the network on non-discrimination to support its work by providing independent information and advice on relevant developments in the Member States. The two networks were merged in December 2014 and are now jointly managed by Human European Consultancy, the Migration Policy Group (MPG) and Utrecht University (UU) on behalf of the European Commission.

A primary task of the European network of legal experts in gender equality and non-discrimination is to provide reliable, expert information to enable the Commission to fulfil their role as guardian of the treaties. The disclosure and gathering of information on gender equality and non-discrimination legislation, case law and developments at national level, that is often not easily accessible due to the specificities of national legal systems, language barriers and difficulties in finding relevant information, is therefore one of the key goals of the new network.

The dissemination of general information about the acquis (communautaire and national), the latest developments at the EU level and in the countries involved in the network, remains a vital issue both for the further implementation of gender equality and non-discrimination law and its further development. Only upon the basis of the disclosure of gender equality and non-discrimination problems persisting in the Member States and other countries involved in the network, will it be possible to develop sound policies and legal rules for remedying these.

On this website the network publishes information on developments in gender equality and non-discrimination law at the Member State and European level. More information can be found via our legal developments page and the individual country pages.

Go to the website of Utrecht University
Go to the website of the Migration Policy Group

Order European equality law review

Click here to order publications