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Newsletter Issn 1378-577X »SEPTEMBER 2004 VOL 4 ISSUE 3 NEWSLETTER ISSN 1378-577X www.ilga-europe.org THE EU LISBON AGENDA : WILL THE BALANCE BE MAINTAINED? > FREEDOM, SECURITY AND JUSTICE The future of Tampere > EU SOCIAL POLICY Toward an integrated approach > LEADERS AGREE ON CONSTITUTION What is in it for us? TABLE OF CONTENTS 3 Personnel News EDITORIAL Welcome to the autumn edition of the ILGA-Europe newsletter. This summer saw some 3 ILGA-Europe's Annual Conference 2004 exciting developments for ILGA-Europe: we were able to hire both a new executive 4 You do not need 36 hours a day to volunteer director – Patricia Prendiville from Ireland (see p. 3) and hot off the press we can 4 Strengthening ILGA-Europe: strategic planning also announce Juris Lavrikovs from Latvia as our new Communications and Infor- 5 EU leaders agree on draft constitution mation Officer. Both will start in their new positions in the course of October. Last 6 Equality mainstreaming: new opportunities but not least we are fortunate to enjoy the support of our new stagiaire, Kim Smouter, 6 The future of the EU's policy on freedom, security and justice from the Nederland, who will be with us until January. This year's annual conference 7 ILGA-Europe's priorities for the Dutch EU Presidency in Budapest promises to be an exciting event: it is a chance to have your say in shaping 8 NGOs react to the Green Paper consultation on equality the strategic direction and organisational structure of ILGA-Europe as well as par- 10 The Reform of the European Cohesion Policy ticipating in a wide range of different workshops and plenary sessions (see p. 3). 10 Dutch Presidency Conference on Sexual Orientation Policies 11 The Barrosso Commission: Leading an enlarged EU NEWS FROM THE EU INSTITUTIONS 12 The new European Parliament This summer saw a whole series of exciting developments at EU level. After tough 13 Conservative Slovak MEP leads EP Women’s Committee negotiations, EU leaders finally agreed on a draft European constitution this June. 14 Commission takes action to enforce anti-discrimination law Despite some shortcomings, the constitutions offers exciting new opportunities – 14 Latvia: MPs delete sexual orientation from anti-discrimination bill if it is ratified, that is. One of the key novelties is the horizontal clause that obliges 15 OSCE reaffirms commitment to non-discrimination the EU to mainstream equality throughout all areas of EU competence. To find out 15 EU transnational projects: "Different in More Ways Than One" more, see p. 6. This year is an important moment of reflection at EU level about 16 EU transnational projects: "Access to Justice" the future of a whole series of policy instruments. In June the Commission published 16 EU transnational projects: "SOLID" – Strategies on litigation a communication on the assessment of the Tampere programme and future orien- tations in the EU's policy on freedom, security and justice (p. 6) and in September 17 Taking forward cases in Ireland the DG Justice and Home Affairs is expected to present a more detailed consultation 18 News Clips document on the structure of the future human rights agency. This autumn will also see important discussions about the future of the EU's social policy agenda: proposals are now on the table on how to re-structure the European Structural Funds The ILGA-Europe Newsletter is the Loudes, Anette Sjödin, Stefan as well as the Community Action Programme to combat discrimination. Read more quarterly newsletter of ILGA-Europe. Timmermanns, Nigel Warner, as on p. 10. The new European Parliament, elected in June, is now beginning to get Volume 4, issue 3, September 2004 well as the following organisa- down to business. The Parliament has traditionally been an important ally for civil Editors: Birgit Hardt, Kurt Krickler tions: AGE, EDF, ENAR, EWL, society organisations. Whilst it is too early to give any definite answers on what Contributors: Mark Bell, Don Bisson, Háttér and SOLIDAR to expect from the new MEPs, there are clear indications that the Parliament as a Proinsias ó Ceallaigh, Riccardo Design & layout: Image Plus whole has become more conservative and market-oriented. Find out more on p. 12. Gottardi, Kvetoslav Havlík, Tansy www.imageplus.be Hutchinson, Sylvia Jaén, Paula Printer: Sofadi When Barrosso, president of the new Commission, published the list of new Jójárt, Juris Lavrikovs, Jackie Next Issue: December 2004 Commissioners on 12 August, ILGA-Europe approached its members to find out Lewis, Miha Lobnik, Christine Deadline: 10 November 2004 more about the new candidates. The results were not altogether reassuring, especially with regard to the Italian candidate Buttiglione, responsible for the dossiers of Justice, Freedom and Security (p. 11). © ILGA-Europe. Reproduction permitted, provided that appropriate reference is made NEWS FROM THE MEMBER STATES to the source. Implementation of the framework directive is still far from accomplished: the latest This Newsletter is published publication does not necessarily fiasco happened in Latvia where MPs successfully tried to delete sexual orientation with the support of the European reflect the position or opinion from the anti-discrimination bill. The Commission, in turn, is beginning to take Commission – The European of the European Commission. action: on 19 July it took six member states to the European Court of Justice for Union against discrimination. It is not liable for any use that The information contained in this may be made of this information. non-compliance. Last but not least, find out about European LGBT organisations taking an active stand against hate lyrics in popular Jamaican music, hear about latest developments in Spain and the battles for same-sex partnership registration in the Czech Republic (p. 18). THE EUROPEAN REGION avenue de Tervueren 94 Bank account # 310-1844088-10 OF THE INTERNATIONAL 1040 Brussels, Belgium ING Belgique LESBIAN AND GAY Phone +32 2 609 54 10 ETT-CINQUANTENAIRE ASSOCIATION Fax +32 2 609 54 19 avenue de Tervueren 10 [email protected] 1040 ETTERBEEK www.ilga-europe.org IBAN BE41 3101 8440 8810 »P2 ILGA-EUROPE NEWSLETTER BIC (SWIFT): BBRUBEBB PERSONNEL NEWS ILGA-EUROPE WELCOMES NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Patricia Prendiville from Ireland to NGOs and equality organisations. team that reported on Poverty, has been appointed as ILGA- Five years later, in 1994, she co- Lesbians and Gay Men in Ireland Europe's Executive Director. She founded and developed a company and also researched and reported will start in the job on 4 October. specialising in providing community on The Experience of Lesbian Patricia has a life long commitment development support and training. Organising. She was a member of to equality and social inclusion, Her responsibilities included organ- the Advisory Committee to the Irish which she has acted on in both isational and team management Equality Authority on Implementing voluntary and paid work and aca- and development, representation Equality for Lesbians, Gays and demic study. She was involved on national policy arenas associated Bisexuals, and of the Working for a long number of years in the with equality issues, and develop- Group to the Irish National Right to Choose Campaign in Ireland, ment and delivery of training Economic and Social Forum's and was also a board member and organisational consultancy Implementation of Equality of the Dublin based organisation services to NGOs. for Lesbians and Gay Men. She the team in the ILGA-Europe office, Lesbians Organising Together which has also been a consultant to the and with the board and member- hosted two EU funded New Patricia has degrees in Psychology, Women's Human Rights Alliance ship. I am also very keen on Opportunities for Women Women's Studies, and the Organi- in Ireland. Responding to her continuing the co-operation with programmes. sational Development of Community appointment, Patricia said: "Given other NGOs working on the equality Development Organisations. She the importance of policy from the agenda in the Social Platform. After three years working in self- has authored a resource book EU and European institutions for As we say in Irish 'ní neart go development programmes for for working with young women, equality and social inclusion in all cur le chéile' (there's no strength young people and disadvantaged a handbook for developing facilitation countries, I am delighted to be taking until we all work together)." women, she became a consultant skills, and co-authored a lesbian up the post of Director of ILGA- providing organisational develop- information and resource pack. Europe. I am also very much »NIGEL WARNER ment, training and research services Patricia was part of a research looking forward to working with ILGA-Europe Board ILGA-EUROPE'S ANNUAL CONFERENCE COMING OUT TO THE EU Preparations for the annual confer- Presidency, underlining the support on fundraising, lobbying the United ILGA-Europe website (details below). ence of the European Region of the EU for the fight against Nations, dealing with homophobic We will be providing translation of ILGA are going well. This year's discrimination. There will be two violence and organising lesbian between Hungarian and English conference will be a milestone pre-conference meetings: one and bisexual women’s movements for some of the sessions and are in the LGBT movement for several focussing on Eastern European in East Europe. We are also preparing able to offer sign language inter- reasons. ILGA-Europe's strategic a colourful social programme for pretation if needed. The conference plan will be formulated along the evenings. To start with, our takes place at the European Youth with a new organisational structure volunteers will be happy to show Centre, which is splendidly equipped to reflect the diversity of ILGA- you the sights of the inner city on with all the facilities we need.
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