The principal Legal grounds of the European Union are:
-    Council Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethinc origin.
-    Council Directive 2000/78/EC of 27 November 2000 establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation.
-    Council Directive 2004/113/EC of 13 December 2004 implementing the principle of equal treatment between men and women in the access to and supply of goods and services.
-    Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 july 2006 on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (recast).
-    Directive 2014/54/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 16 April 2014 on measures facilitating the exercise of rights conferred on workers in the context of freedom of movement for workers.

Miha Lobnik , advocate of the Principle of Equality, pointed out that:
In 2014 the European Commission launched an infringement procedure against Slovenia for non-compliance with the directives.
In april 2016 the new Protection Against Discrimination Act (PADA) was adopted.
With PADA a new independent and autonomous Equality Body was established - The advocate of Principle of Equality.

On the other hand, he pointed one legal definition of discrimination:
»Discrimination shall be any undue actual or legal unequal treatment, differentiation, exclusion, limitation or failure to act due to personal circumstances, the result or consequence of which is hindrance, reduction or nullification of equal recognition, enjoyment or exercise of human rights and fundamental freedoms, other rights, legal interests and benefits«.
Personal grounds of discrimination, the reasons may be for different inherent or gained personal traits, states or statuses, that are permanently connected to a certain person, its identity and personality and upon which different groups of people are formed and consequently their relations with other.

We can divide the following categories:
Gender; Nationality; Race and ethnic origin; Language; Religion; Disability; Age; Sexual orientation; Sexual Identity; Sexual expression; Social status: Property status; Education; Other categories like citizen of the EU Member State, citizen of a Third Country, and other personal grounds.

The conference also discussed about:
-    The areas of social life upon which the protection against discrimination is established.
-    Forms of discrimination.
-    Severe forms of discrimination.
-    Tasks and powers of the Advocate of the Principle of Equality.

Finally, it was pointed out that this Conference would be the first of many other meetings that they want to carry out in terms of EQUALITY.

By way of conclusion, the Conference has been interesting to me, but it is true that I missed other realities that affect equality at work, like different diseases (without disabilities) such as HIV, skin problems, to be ugly, obese, salary differentiation and conditions between the public and private sectors, among others.

Prepared by Eduardo Siles.
Photos by Eduardo Siles.