LibDem conference backs local Euro-MP Liz Lynne's anti-discrimination amendment in key Europe policy debate

6.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 16th Sep 2008

A nine year campaign by local Euro MP Liz Lynne and leading charities for

a new directive to outlaw discrimination outside employment on all grounds

has been endorsed by the LibDem conference today as a key plank of the

party's Europe policy.

Liz Lynne's amendment to the motion, 'Shaping Our World Through a Strong

Europe' highlighted the need to stamp out unfair discrimination and to

promote more effective cross border co-operation in health care. It was

supported by conference delegates by a big majority after a debate in

Bournemouth this afternoon.

The European Commission earlier this year confirmed that it would pursue a

new comprehensive directive to ban discrimination in all areas not covered

in existing law. The move follows a major report by the West Midlands MEP

Liz Lynne detailing the need for measures to tackle discrimination across

the EU on grounds of disability, age, sexual orientation and religion or

belief.

In her speech to conference proposing her amendment, Liz Lynne MEP said:

(full text follows as delivered)

'Social exclusion, poverty, discrimination, inequality in access to

healthcare are not just UK issues. These problems affect all Member States

of the European Union.

I believe there much that the EU could do to improve the exchange of data,

information and best practice in these areas. Why are some countries

succeeding on certain issues and others aren?t?

Why for instance, does Britain rank behind Portugal, Hungary, Greece and

the Czech Republic on poverty and lack of opportunities for children?

The UK invests a higher proportion of it?s total health budget in mental

health services than any other EU country with the exception of

Luxembourg, but this is not reflected in outcomes compared to other

countries.

For example, the UK spends three times as much as Spain on mental health

and yet the death rate from suicide per 100,000 people is almost half that

of the UK. Why is this? Health is not a competence of the European Union,

neither in my opinion should it be. But surely we ought to be learning

from each other.

There needs to be more exchange of best practice between us and our

European Partners. In the health sector, there are so many lessons we

could learn. Take healthcare acquired infections like MRSA for example. In

Finland, as is the case in the Netherlands and many other EU Member

States, screening of all healthcare workers and patients for MRSA is

mandatory.

Yes there has been some progress in UK hospitals, but we still have

infection levels that are 10 times higher than the Netherlands.

On anti-discrimination we must make sure that the EU directives we

already have are properly implemented. Currently 11 member states are not

doing this with the Employement Directive and infringement proceedings

have started against many of them.

The UK has a case against them in the European Courts at the moment on the

mandatory retirement age and I certainly hope we are going to win it. It

has always seemed wrong to me that just because someone reaches 60 or 65

they can be thrown on the scrapheap.

This Employment directive was designed to, among other things, prevent

this from happening whilst still retaining the statutory pension age.

Many disabled people in Latvia are still not being given their rights in

the workplace. In Germany legislation does not cover redundancies. The

list is endless.

We have the legislation. We must now make sure it is enforced, but this

directive only covers employment, not access to goods and services.

That is why I am delighted that following on from my report the Commission

has now made the commitment to bring forward legislation to outlaw

discrimination on all grounds not already covered in access to goods and

services.

Why should a gay person not have the same rights as everyone else at the

moment in Poland, Malta and Greece? Or a disabled person the same rights

in Denmark, Greece or Poland? Or Older and younger people the same rights

in Denmark, Malta, Poland, the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK?

This is all we are asking for - equal rights for all EU citizens,

regardless of disability, age, sexual orientation, religion or belief.

(Race and gender are already covered).

It is the least we can demand from the EU, which was founded on the

principle of anti-discrimination and protection of human rights.

Regarding cross-border healthcare, why should it only be those who can

afford it who can get treatment in other Member States when they can't get

it here?

Why should a patient have to lose their sight waiting for a cataract

operation here, when it could be done in another Member State? Why should

a person waiting for a hip replacement in agony, not be able to take

advantage of the lack of waiting lists in some Member States, sometimes at

a lesser cost to the NHS? Why do some heart patients have to wait months

to have surgery to unblock arteries when there is no need?

Conference, please support Amendment Two.

Speaking after today's debate, and the overwhelming vote in favour of her

amendment, Liz Lynne added:

'I am delighted with the support for my amendment, and I?m very pleased

that we have reaffirmed our commitment for a reformed and focused European

Union. The EU has the capacity to do enormous good for the people of

Britain, and help overcome some of the challenges we face as a nation.

'It is good to see the Liberal Democrats re-affirm their commitment to

fight discrimination in all it's forms. The new EU directive I have been

campaigning for would particularly benefit residents or visitors to some

European countries where the laws against discrimination are less

developed than in Britain.

'My amendments also highlight the huge benefits for the NHS and other

healthcare services in Europe from sharing best practice and cooperating

across borders.

'I am pleased to see that the motion passed today now recognises our

efforts as Euro MPs to create a Europe where discrimination against

elderly people, sick people, weak people and disabled people is a thing of

the past.

'The Liberal Democrats now have an excellent platform to fight the

European Elections next year. We have shown we are willing to work with

Europe to create a better, stronger society both in Britain and abroad,

while at the same time pushing for a freer, greener and more democratic

EU.'

ENDS