The problem of discrimination outside the workplace in the European Union

Abstract: The European Union is the Community made on bases of multiculturalism, diversity and equality between Members and its citizens. From the very beginning of being social actor, the European Union has wanted to fight with discrimination. In the July 2008 the Council Directive on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation was announced. This essay is about the problem of discrimination on the ground of ethnic origin, disability and sexual orientation in the European Union. According to the Eurobarometer survey these types of discrimination are the most spread within the European Society. With help of this survey I set a hypothesis and I tested it. The question was if the “Old” Member States are more successful with the fight with the problem that “New” Member States. There are acts of law considering and protecting citizens against discrimination. Most of the regulations include the unequal treatment in employment, is why I wanted to make researches about the same problem outside the employment. I checked what kind of minorities protection exist in legal framework of the EU and I concluded that the New Directive Proposal is actually answer for their problems and in the same time legislation changes are not enough.