LGBT Rights: Europe, let's move on!

 PRESENTATION

What would you say if you were afraid to tell your colleagues who you went to the movies with on Sunday evening? Or your parents and siblings about who you want to be present at your next birthday party? Being able to live life without fear and discrimination is still not a reality for all LGBT people – despite the fact that lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people have and always will form a part of our societies. In January 2011 and for the first time, the European Parliament called on the Commission to issue an EU Roadmap with concrete measures against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation. While these sorts of coordinated policy documents already exist for other groups (eg. EU Framework for national Roma integration strategies or the European Disability Strategy 2010-2020) there should be a similar one against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity. Such a roadmap would help ensure the protection and advancement of LGBT fundamental rights within the EU’s work. Despite the European Parliament’s ten (!) requests to the Commission over the last three years to issue such a roadmap, the European Commission indicated it wouldn’t work on such a roadmap. The European Parliament’s Civil liberties committee’s initiative report "on the EU Roadmap against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity" describes what an ‘LGBT roadmap’ should contain, to lay the groundwork for the next Parliament and Commission to work on it. During this conference, the report "on the EU Roadmap against homophobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity" will be presented and representatives of the European Commission, European Council, NGOs and national Green parties will discuss the need to implement the LGBT roadmap within the next legislative period.

DRAFT PROGRAMME OF THE CONFERENCE

This conference is hosted by: MEP Ulrike Lunacek, MEP Raül Romeva and MEP Marije Cornelissen.
Simultaneous interpretation into English, German, French, Spanish, Italian and Hungarian will be provided.
The conference will be livestreamed. 15:00-15:15
Introduction
By MEP Raül Romeva 15:15-16:15
Why does the EU need an LGBT Roadmap? 
Chaired by MEP Marije Cornelissen Speakers:

• Evelyne Paradise, Executive Director of ILGA Europe 
• Dennis van der Veur, European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) (via video conference)

30 minutes Q&A 16:15-18:00
EP actions and institutional perspectives
Chaired by MEP Ulrike Lunacek, rapporteur on the LGBT roadmap report Speakers:

• Juan Gonzalez-Mellizo, European Commission (DG Justice), Team Leader for Non-Discrimination policies
• Ioanna Pouli, representative of the Hellenic Presidency, delegate of the Human Rights Working Group (COHOM)
• Remus Cernea, Independent Deputy of the Romanian Parliament
• Jacqueline Cremers, European Green Party Secretary General

30 minutes Q&A 18:00-18:30 Conclusion
by Raül Romeva 18:30
Cocktail reception