As part of MPG’s work on assessment and evaluation MPG partnered with hec to gather and present a comprehensive and independent view of the national measures used to combat discrimination outside employment with an assessment of their impact

Of the anti-discrimination directives, the Racial Equality Directive offers better protection outside the employment field as it also covers social protection including social security and healthcare, social advantages, education, provision of and access to goods and services including housing. The Directive granting protection on the basis of religion or belief, age, sexual orientation and disability is limited to the employment field.

In an Inventory prepared for the Commission, MPG explored to what extent this European difference was reflected in national situations.

The analysis investigated what it would take to bring protection against discrimination on all grounds to the same level as protection for race and ethnicity.

It was undertaken against the backdrop of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All, during which such an expansion was debated.

The resulting publication: Inventory of Existing National Measures Combating Discrimination outside Employment and their Impact takes a detailed snap-shot of current anti-discrimination policies and provides an independent assessment of their impact.