thematic report ■ THE PROHIBITION OF DISCRIMINATION UNDER EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS LAW ■ 8
■ THE PROHIBITION OF DISCRIMINATION UNDER EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS LAW ■ Introduction This report <strong>of</strong>fers an overview <strong>of</strong> the protection from discrimination <strong>under</strong> the <strong>European</strong> Convention on <strong>Human</strong> Rights and the Revised <strong>European</strong> Social Charter, and seeks to identify aspects <strong>of</strong> that protection which could influence the outstanding questions <strong>of</strong> interpretation <strong>of</strong> Directive 2000/43/EC <strong>of</strong> 29 June 2000 implementing the principle <strong>of</strong> equal treatment between persons irrespective <strong>of</strong> racial or ethnic origin1 and Directive 2000/78/EC <strong>of</strong> 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation2 . Although other instruments adopted within the Framework <strong>of</strong> the Council <strong>of</strong> Europe may also in the future influence the interpretation <strong>of</strong> the directives, ins<strong>of</strong>ar as they contain clauses protecting from discrimination based on the membership <strong>of</strong> a national minority3 or on genetic heritage, 4 grounds which intersect with those <strong>of</strong> religion or ethnic origin or <strong>of</strong> disability, the <strong>European</strong> Convention on <strong>Human</strong> Rights has been recognized to have a particular significance in <strong>European</strong> Union law, and its requirements are to be considered part <strong>of</strong> the general principles <strong>of</strong> Union law which the <strong>European</strong> Court <strong>of</strong> Justice applies as part <strong>of</strong> its task <strong>of</strong> ensuring that the law is respected in the application <strong>of</strong> the Treaties. 5 <strong>The</strong> reference to the <strong>European</strong> Social Charter is justified to the extent that the <strong>European</strong> Court <strong>of</strong> Justice has occasionally referred to that instrument for the interpretation <strong>of</strong> EC law. 6 <strong>The</strong> report is structured in three parts. Part I <strong>of</strong>fers an overview <strong>of</strong> the anti-discrimination clauses <strong>of</strong> the <strong>European</strong> Convention on <strong>Human</strong> Rights and <strong>of</strong> the relevant case-law <strong>of</strong> the <strong>European</strong> Court <strong>of</strong> <strong>Human</strong> Rights. Part II examines the protection from discrimination <strong>under</strong> the <strong>European</strong> Social Charter, <strong>under</strong> the interpretation given to the Charter by the <strong>European</strong> Committee <strong>of</strong> Social Rights (previously the Committee <strong>of</strong> Independent Experts) either in its conclusions adopted on the basis <strong>of</strong> the periodic State reports, or in the context <strong>of</strong> collective complaints. Part III examines the relationship <strong>of</strong> these instruments and the case-law <strong>of</strong> those bodies to the interpretation <strong>of</strong> Directives 2000/43/EC and 2000/78/EC. Certain general comments are <strong>of</strong>fered, after which an overview is proposed, ground per ground, <strong>of</strong> the questions <strong>of</strong> interpretation which the <strong>European</strong> Court <strong>of</strong> <strong>Human</strong> Rights and the <strong>European</strong> Committee <strong>of</strong> Social Rights have addressed, to the extent that they may influence the interpretation <strong>of</strong> the directives. 1 2 3 4 5 6 OJ L 180 <strong>of</strong> 19.7.2000, p. 22. OJ L 303 <strong>of</strong> 2.12.2000, p. 16. Framework Convention for the Protection <strong>of</strong> National Minorities (ETS n° 157), signed in Strasbourg on 1 February 1995, in force on 1 February 1998 : see Art. 4. On 15 January 2005,<strong>The</strong> Framework Convention had been ratified by all the Member States <strong>of</strong> the EU, with the exception <strong>of</strong> Belgium, France, Greece, Latvia, Luxemburg and the Netherlands. Convention for the Protection <strong>of</strong> <strong>Human</strong> Rights and Dignity <strong>of</strong> the <strong>Human</strong> Being with Regard to the Application <strong>of</strong> Biology and Medicine : Convention on <strong>Human</strong> Rights and Biomedicine (ETS n° 164), signed in Oviedo on 4 April 1997, in force on 1 December 1999: see Article 11. See, in the context <strong>of</strong> the EC Treaty, article 220 EC. Case 149/77, Defrenne v. Sabena [1978] ECR 1365, at para. 26. See also Case 6/75, Horst v. Bundesknappschaft [1975] ECR 823, at 836. 9 thematic report
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