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REPORT (2023/2082(INI))

On the implementation of the EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025

A-9-2024-0030

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs · Rapporteur: José Gusmão

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The report reviews how the EU LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 has been implemented and sets out Parliament's demands for the future. It finds that LGBTIQ+ people still face discrimination, violence and exclusion across the EU, and that progress cannot be taken for granted. It calls for SOGIESC to be covered by EU anti-discrimination law, for hate speech and hate crime on that basis to be criminalised, and for bans on conversion practices, forced abortions, forced sterilisations and genital mutilation. It asks for a common EU approach to recognising same-sex marriages, partnerships and parenthood, and to legal gender recognition, and for rainbow families' free movement and children's citizenship rights. It calls for funding and support for LGBTIQ+ civil society, for LGBTIQ+ asylum access, and for the EU to lead on LGBTIQ+ rights worldwide, including in enlargement and development policy. It asks the Commission to prepare a new LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy for 2025-2030 with an implementation plan, timeline and monitoring, and to secure an Equality and Diversity Commissioner.

Committee position. The committee concludes that much work remains and recommends a new LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy for 2025-2030 with an implementation plan, timeline and monitoring, stronger anti-discrimination rules, and protection for LGBTIQ+ people, families and human rights defenders.

Key points

  1. Welcomes the Commission's LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 and its progress report, but regrets that some key actions have not been implemented and notes disparities between Member States.
  2. Deplores that the horizontal anti-discrimination directive has been blocked in the Council since 2008 and urges the Council to act.
  3. Calls for sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics to be included in EU anti-discrimination legislation.
  4. Finds that LGBTIQ+ people are disproportionately affected by homelessness, poverty and socio-economic exclusion, face barriers to decent jobs, and should be involved in socio-economic, housing and education policymaking.
  5. Calls on Member States to expand healthcare coverage, including sexual and reproductive health, and to combat discrimination in the health sector.
  6. Calls for greater funding for services for victims of gender-based violence, in particular LGBTIQ+ women.
  7. Calls for SOGIESC to be recognised as bias-motivations and for hate speech, hate crimes and violence on that basis, including online, to be addressed and criminalised.
  8. Calls on the Commission to explore banning conversion practices at EU level and to push Member States to ban them, and calls for bans on genital mutilation, forced abortions and forced sterilisation.
  9. Calls for the EU to grant asylum access to LGBTIQ+ persons, including those from so-called safe countries, and for support under the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund.
  10. Insists on a common EU approach to legal recognition of same-sex marriages, partnerships and rainbow parents, and to legal gender recognition, and on free movement and citizenship rights for rainbow families.
  11. Calls for adequate and flexible funding for LGBTIQ+ civil society organisations, better communication of funding opportunities, and protection of LGBTIQ+ human rights defenders, extending the protection mechanism to EU Member States.
  12. Calls on the Commission to draw up a new LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy for 2025-2030 with an implementation plan, timeline, monitoring and consultation of LGBTIQ+ organisations, and to secure an Equality and Diversity Commissioner.

Who is affected

  • LGBTIQ+ people in the EU, who face discrimination, violence and barriers in housing, employment, health and education.
  • Member States, asked to implement EU law, adopt national action plans and expand healthcare and legal recognition.
  • The Commission, asked to monitor compliance, fund civil society and prepare a new strategy for 2025-2030.
  • LGBTIQ+ asylum seekers, including those from countries classified as safe, who should be granted access to asylum.
  • LGBTIQ+ human rights defenders and civil society organisations, for whom funding and protection are requested.

Figures and deadlines

  • 2 % of LGBTIQ+ persons in the EU are estimated to have been submitted to so-called conversion practices.
  • 5 % of LGBTIQ+ persons in the EU are estimated to have been offered conversion.
  • The horizontal anti-discrimination directive has been blocked in the Council since 2008.
  • The LGBTIQ Equality Strategy 2020-2025 was adopted on 12 November 2020.
  • The new LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy should cover 2025-2030.
  • Member States should adopt national LGBTIQ+ action plans and strategies until 2025.

Legal basis: Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union.