Let me start by thanking this House for its strong and consistent support for the proposal for an Equal Treatment Directive. You have made your position clear year after year, and we heard you. You asked us to keep this file a priority, and we did. We have taken action.
The European Commission stands fully behind this proposal.
We decided to keep it on the table for further political discussion in Council. We did so because the European Parliament supports it and because a large majority of Member States support it too. This was reaffirmed in the Commissions 2026 Work Programme, where this proposal remains among the pending legislative files.
This sends an unmistakable message: closing the remaining gaps in EU anti-discrimination law is not just necessary, it is long overdue.
Seventeen years. That is how long we have been debating this file. This shows the file is complex and sensitive, but it also shows something else, something important: there is real political will across our Union to finish the job and complete the legal framework on non-discrimination.
At the moment, EU law protects people from discrimination based on religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation only in the context of employment. But protection against discrimination based on sex or ethnic and racial origin applies more broadly.
The Equal Treatment Directive would close this legal gap, extending protection against discrimination based on religion or belief, disability, age, or sexual orientation beyond employment also to social protection, education, and access to goods and services. This is needed because discrimination in these contexts is widespread.
In a recent Eurobarometer survey, more than half of respondents (54%) self-identifying as part of a minority based on their sexual orientation said they had felt personally discriminated against in a public space. And a quarter (24%) of respondents belonging to religious minorities reported experiencing discrimination at a café, restaurant, bar or nightclub.
This House has consistently called on the Council to move forward and adopt this proposal, and the evidence backing this proposal keeps getting stronger. New analysis from the European Parliamentary Research Service confirms that this Directive would bring major social benefits, strengthening social cohesion and protecting the dignity of millions of Europeans.
Crucially, the analysis also gives a balanced view of the financial impact of reasonable accommodation. It shows that the costs are often overestimated and that, over time, they are often offset by the economic gains that come when people with disabilities and older citizens can fully participate in society.
The economic cost of inaction is huge. Recent OECD data shows that discrimination based on sexual orientation, religion or belief, disability, and age costs the EU more than €360 billion euros every year. These new analyses can give real momentum to this debate. The message is clear: the benefits of the Directive far outweigh the costs of implementation.
This is the moment to move forward.
Let me also remind you that the Commission has supported every Presidency and every Member State to reach an agreement. Today a large majority of delegations in the Council support the quick adoption of the latest compromise text. The Commission will continue to support these negotiations in every way we can.
I urge you to work with your national counterparts to encourage progress in those Member States where there remains reluctance. We cannot and will not wait another 17 years. Lets get it done together.