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"Regardless of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation, everyone has the right to equal treatment and opportunities regarding employment, social protection, education, and access to goods and services available to the public. Equal opportunities of under-represented groups shall be fostered".
The EU principle of equal opportunities affirms that everyone should enjoy equal treatment and access to employment, social protection, education, goods and services, regardless of gender, racial or ethnic origin, religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. The related Commission actions translate this principle into targeted strategies against structural discrimination, social exclusion and unequal access to rights.
The EU Anti-racism Action Plan 2020–2025 was designed to strengthen the EU response to racism and racial discrimination. It called for better enforcement of existing EU anti-discrimination legislation, stronger action by Member States, and greater attention to structural racism in areas such as employment, education, housing, healthcare and law enforcement. The plan also encouraged Member States to adopt national anti-racism action plans and improve data collection on discrimination. Building on this framework, the Commission has now moved towards a broader anti-racism strategy for 2026–2030.
The EU Roma Strategic Framework for equality, inclusion and participation sets the EU approach for Roma policy up to 2030. It is based on three main pillars: equality, socio-economic inclusion and participation in public, political, social and cultural life. The framework recognises that Roma communities continue to face discrimination, antigypsyism, segregation and poverty, and therefore calls for stronger national Roma strategies, measurable targets and more effective use of EU and national funds.
The Council Recommendation on Roma equality, inclusion and participation complements the Roma framework by giving Member States concrete guidance. It recommends action against discrimination and antigypsyism, better access to education, employment, healthcare and housing, and stronger participation of Roma people in policymaking. It also stresses the need to protect Roma children, support Roma civil society and involve national, regional and local actors in implementation.
The Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021–2027 focuses on migrants and EU citizens with a migrant background. Its guiding principle is “inclusion for all”. The plan promotes access to education, employment, healthcare and housing, while supporting cooperation between EU institutions, Member States, local authorities, civil society and migrant-led organisations. It recognises that integration is primarily a national competence, but that EU funding, guidance and coordination can help improve outcomes.
The LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020–2025 was the first Commission strategy dedicated to LGBTIQ equality. It focused on four priorities: tackling discrimination, ensuring safety, building inclusive societies and promoting LGBTIQ equality globally. It combined targeted action with equality mainstreaming across EU policies, legislation and funding programmes.
The new LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026–2030 sets the European Commission’s framework for protecting and promoting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer people across the EU. It builds on the first EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020–2025 and responds to a context in which social acceptance has improved, but discrimination, hate-motivated harassment and violence remain widespread. FRA data cited by the Commission show that 37% of LGBTIQ people experienced discrimination in the previous year, while hate-motivated harassment has increased significantly.
The strategy is structured around three main pillars: protection, empowerment and engagement. It aims to protect LGBTIQ+ people from discrimination, hate crime, harmful practices and online abuse; empower communities, equality bodies and civil society organisations; and engage Member States, EU institutions and international partners in stronger implementation. The Commission calls on all Member States to adopt national LGBTIQ+ equality action plans by 2027 and to strengthen cooperation through the LGBTIQ equality subgroup.
The strategy also focuses on practical areas such as education, healthcare, employment, free movement, family rights, asylum, AI-related discrimination and external EU action. Its analytical importance lies in treating LGBTIQ+ equality not as a niche rights agenda, but as part of democracy, social cohesion, competitiveness and the wider Union of Equality. Its effectiveness will depend on national implementation, funding, enforcement and civil-society participation.
LGBTIQ Subgroup
The LGBTIQ Equality Subgroup was set up for enhancing implementation of the LGBTIQ equality strategy under the High-Level Group on non-discrimination, equality and diversity. The Subgroup is composed of Governmental experts, nominated by Member States’ Governments, to support and monitor progress of the protection of LGBTIQ people’s rights in the Member States. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) contributes to its work, and the Subgroup cooperates on a regular basis with civil society and international organisations, such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Council of Europe.
The Subgroup started its work in May 2021. It prepared the Guidelines for Strategies and Action Plans to Enhance LGBTIQ Equality and the related Monitoring checklist to support concrete action to enhance protection of the rights of LGBTIQ people across in the EU Member States. These guidelines identify what LGBTIQ policies, strategies and action plans should cover in order to be useful and effective. The guidelines support and encourage the Member States in line with the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy, as advised, prioritized and agreed by the Subgroup.
Analytical comment: Taken together, these initiatives show how the EU has developed a broader Union of Equality agenda. The approach is no longer limited to formal legal equality. It increasingly focuses on structural barriers, intersectional discrimination, access to services, participation in decision-making and measurable implementation at national and local level. Its effectiveness, however, depends on enforcement, funding, reliable data and the willingness of Member States to turn EU strategies into concrete policies.
The EU Anti-racism Action Plan 2020–2025 was designed to strengthen the EU response to racism and racial discrimination. It called for better enforcement of existing EU anti-discrimination legislation, stronger action by Member States, and greater attention to structural racism in areas such as employment, education, housing, healthcare and law enforcement. The plan also encouraged Member States to adopt national anti-racism action plans and improve data collection on discrimination. Building on this framework, the Commission has now moved towards a broader anti-racism strategy for 2026–2030.
The EU Roma Strategic Framework for equality, inclusion and participation sets the EU approach for Roma policy up to 2030. It is based on three main pillars: equality, socio-economic inclusion and participation in public, political, social and cultural life. The framework recognises that Roma communities continue to face discrimination, antigypsyism, segregation and poverty, and therefore calls for stronger national Roma strategies, measurable targets and more effective use of EU and national funds.
The Council Recommendation on Roma equality, inclusion and participation complements the Roma framework by giving Member States concrete guidance. It recommends action against discrimination and antigypsyism, better access to education, employment, healthcare and housing, and stronger participation of Roma people in policymaking. It also stresses the need to protect Roma children, support Roma civil society and involve national, regional and local actors in implementation.
The Action Plan on Integration and Inclusion 2021–2027 focuses on migrants and EU citizens with a migrant background. Its guiding principle is “inclusion for all”. The plan promotes access to education, employment, healthcare and housing, while supporting cooperation between EU institutions, Member States, local authorities, civil society and migrant-led organisations. It recognises that integration is primarily a national competence, but that EU funding, guidance and coordination can help improve outcomes.
The LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020–2025 was the first Commission strategy dedicated to LGBTIQ equality. It focused on four priorities: tackling discrimination, ensuring safety, building inclusive societies and promoting LGBTIQ equality globally. It combined targeted action with equality mainstreaming across EU policies, legislation and funding programmes.
The new LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026–2030 sets the European Commission’s framework for protecting and promoting the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, non-binary, intersex and queer people across the EU. It builds on the first EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020–2025 and responds to a context in which social acceptance has improved, but discrimination, hate-motivated harassment and violence remain widespread. FRA data cited by the Commission show that 37% of LGBTIQ people experienced discrimination in the previous year, while hate-motivated harassment has increased significantly.
The strategy is structured around three main pillars: protection, empowerment and engagement. It aims to protect LGBTIQ+ people from discrimination, hate crime, harmful practices and online abuse; empower communities, equality bodies and civil society organisations; and engage Member States, EU institutions and international partners in stronger implementation. The Commission calls on all Member States to adopt national LGBTIQ+ equality action plans by 2027 and to strengthen cooperation through the LGBTIQ equality subgroup.
The strategy also focuses on practical areas such as education, healthcare, employment, free movement, family rights, asylum, AI-related discrimination and external EU action. Its analytical importance lies in treating LGBTIQ+ equality not as a niche rights agenda, but as part of democracy, social cohesion, competitiveness and the wider Union of Equality. Its effectiveness will depend on national implementation, funding, enforcement and civil-society participation.
LGBTIQ Subgroup
The LGBTIQ Equality Subgroup was set up for enhancing implementation of the LGBTIQ equality strategy under the High-Level Group on non-discrimination, equality and diversity. The Subgroup is composed of Governmental experts, nominated by Member States’ Governments, to support and monitor progress of the protection of LGBTIQ people’s rights in the Member States. The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) contributes to its work, and the Subgroup cooperates on a regular basis with civil society and international organisations, such as the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and the Council of Europe.
The Subgroup started its work in May 2021. It prepared the Guidelines for Strategies and Action Plans to Enhance LGBTIQ Equality and the related Monitoring checklist to support concrete action to enhance protection of the rights of LGBTIQ people across in the EU Member States. These guidelines identify what LGBTIQ policies, strategies and action plans should cover in order to be useful and effective. The guidelines support and encourage the Member States in line with the LGBTIQ Equality Strategy, as advised, prioritized and agreed by the Subgroup.
Analytical comment: Taken together, these initiatives show how the EU has developed a broader Union of Equality agenda. The approach is no longer limited to formal legal equality. It increasingly focuses on structural barriers, intersectional discrimination, access to services, participation in decision-making and measurable implementation at national and local level. Its effectiveness, however, depends on enforcement, funding, reliable data and the willingness of Member States to turn EU strategies into concrete policies.
Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Men and Women
In 2008, the EU Commission decided a codified version relating to the setting up of an Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men, by Decision 2008/590/EC, This advisory committee aim to ensure regular consultations and exchanges between bodies and institutions to promote equal opportunities between women and men in EU countries.
This is an Advisory Committee intended to help the European Commission formulate and implement measures to promote equal opportunities for women and men. It does this by encouraging the exchange of relevant experience, policies and practices between EU countries and the various parties involved.
The Committee has 70 members with a 3-year renewable term of office comprising:
Read the documents delivered by the Advisory committee on equal opportunities for women and men and theOpinions of the Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men
The European Women’s Lobby is represented at committee meetings by 2 members as observers. Representatives of international, professional and membership organisations may also be admitted as observers following a reasoned request made to the Commission.
The Committee elects a Chairperson and 2 Vice-Chairpersons from among its members for a period of 1 year.
The Chairperson may invite any person who is specially qualified in a particular subject on the agenda to take part in the work of the Committee as an expert.
The Committee is brought together by the Commission and meets at least twice a year at the Commission’s headquarters. The Committee’s discussions are based on requests for opinions made by the Commission and on those delivered on its own initiative. They are not followed by a vote.
This is an Advisory Committee intended to help the European Commission formulate and implement measures to promote equal opportunities for women and men. It does this by encouraging the exchange of relevant experience, policies and practices between EU countries and the various parties involved.
The Committee has 70 members with a 3-year renewable term of office comprising:
- 1 representative from each EU country appointed by its government from a ministry or government department responsible for promoting equal opportunities,
- 1 representative from each EU country appointed by the Commission from among the members of a national committee or body responsible for equal opportunities upon a proposal from the organisation concerned,
- 7 members representing employers’ organisations at EU level, and
- 7 members representing employees’ organisations at EU level.
Read the documents delivered by the Advisory committee on equal opportunities for women and men and theOpinions of the Advisory Committee on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men
The European Women’s Lobby is represented at committee meetings by 2 members as observers. Representatives of international, professional and membership organisations may also be admitted as observers following a reasoned request made to the Commission.
The Committee elects a Chairperson and 2 Vice-Chairpersons from among its members for a period of 1 year.
The Chairperson may invite any person who is specially qualified in a particular subject on the agenda to take part in the work of the Committee as an expert.
The Committee is brought together by the Commission and meets at least twice a year at the Commission’s headquarters. The Committee’s discussions are based on requests for opinions made by the Commission and on those delivered on its own initiative. They are not followed by a vote.
eBriefing PaaS ยท EU Equal Opportunities & Anti-discrimination
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