The rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people in EU Enlargement countries were on the agenda of the second CoR Enlargement Day, an annual event bringing together CoR members and representatives from the local and regional authorities of EU Enlargement countries to share best practices and promote co-operation in preparing for EU accession. Since local governments have an important role in implementing rights on a daily basis, they can be at the front line of changing entrenched attitudes towards LGBTI people.
Opening the plenary session of this year's Enlargement Day, CoR First Vice-President Karl-Heinz Lambertz stressed the importance of respecting the rights of vulnerable groups, and the role of local and regional authorities in creating "a safe space for democracy, fundamental freedoms and the rule of law".
PES member Kevin Peel also spoke at the plenary session, setting out the need for open discussion of best practices from EU Member States, so that candidate and pre-candidate countries can benefit from their experiences in supporting vulnerable groups such as LGBTI people. He called on the European Commission to make this a top priority in Enlargement discussions, as "nothing can be more important than fundamental rights".
Acknowledging that discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity remains a problem in many candidate and pre-candidate countries, Allan Jones, Head of Unit at the European Commission's Directorate General for Enlargement and European Neighbourhood Policy, confirmed the Commission's commitment to pressing for greater protection of LGBTI people both in legislation and in practice in Enlargement countries. His statement was welcomed by the First Vice-President, who concluded the session by reminding all present that "diversity can enrich all of us".
