European Uni<strong>on</strong> Agency for Fundamental Rights156
<str<strong>on</strong>g>Homophobia</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>Discriminati<strong>on</strong></str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>on</strong> <strong>Grounds</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>Sexual</strong> Orientati<strong>on</strong> in the EU Member StatesPart I – Legal Analysis10. C<strong>on</strong>clusi<strong>on</strong>s10.1. The Employment Equality DirectiveCharter <strong>of</strong> Fundamental Rights (Article 21)Any discriminati<strong>on</strong> based <strong>on</strong> any ground such as sex, race, colour, ethnic orsocial origin, genetic features, language, religi<strong>on</strong> or belief, political or anyother opini<strong>on</strong>, membership <strong>of</strong> a nati<strong>on</strong>al minority, property, birth, disability,age or sexual orientati<strong>on</strong> shall be prohibited.This report shows that in 18 EU Member States (BE, BG, CZ, DE, ES, IE, HU, LV, LT,LU, NL, AT, RO, SI, SK, FI, SE, UK), the implementati<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> the Employment EqualityDirective has g<strong>on</strong>e bey<strong>on</strong>d minimum st<str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g>ards as regards discriminati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the grounds<strong>of</strong> sexual orientati<strong>on</strong>; in these countries protecti<strong>on</strong> against discriminati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> this groundnot <strong>on</strong>ly provided in work <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> employment, but also in some or all <strong>of</strong> the areas coveredby the Racial Equality Directive: social protecti<strong>on</strong> (social security <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> healthcare), socialadvantages, educati<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> access to <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> supply <strong>of</strong> goods <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> services which areavailable to the public, including housing. In nine EU Member States (DK, EE, EL, FR,IT, CY, MT, PL, PT) the Employment Equality Directive has been implemented asregards sexual orientati<strong>on</strong> discriminati<strong>on</strong> in matters related to work <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> employment.Thus, in the majority <strong>of</strong> EU Member States, legislati<strong>on</strong> was put in place which providesfor protecti<strong>on</strong> from discriminati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the grounds <strong>of</strong> sexual orientati<strong>on</strong> in areas bey<strong>on</strong>dwork <str<strong>on</strong>g>and</str<strong>on</strong>g> employment.In 18 Member States (BE, BG, DE, EL, FR, IE, CY, LV, LT, LU, HU, NL, AT, RO, SI, SK,SE, UK) there is an equality body competent to deal with discriminati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> the grounds<strong>of</strong> sexual orientati<strong>on</strong>. While nine other Member States (CZ, DK, EE, ES, IT, MT, PL, PT,FI) do not have in place at the time <strong>of</strong> writing an equality body competent to addressdiscriminati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> grounds <strong>of</strong> sexual orientati<strong>on</strong>, four <strong>of</strong> these States (DK, EE, IT, PT) aremoving in the directi<strong>on</strong> <strong>of</strong> creating <strong>on</strong>e single equality body for all discriminati<strong>on</strong> groundsincluding sexual orientati<strong>on</strong>. Only <strong>on</strong>e State has set up a body specifically tasked withdiscriminati<strong>on</strong> <strong>on</strong> grounds <strong>of</strong> sexual orientati<strong>on</strong>: Sweden.157