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International Women's Day on the 8 March was an opportunity for men and women alike to remember that gender equality is a right shared by everyone in the European Union. The theme of this year's International Women's Day - ‘Equal rights, equal opportunities: progress for all' - underlined the fact that ‘progress for all' can only be achieved alongside fundamental rights for all.
On the 18 and 19 February, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) hosted a meeting to discuss its upcoming report on racism and ethnic discrimination in sport. The meeting brought together representatives from international sporting organisations such as UEFA, the European Basketball Federation (FIBA), the European Athletics Association and the European Olympic Committee, members of national sporting organisations and delegates from the European Commission, the European Parliament and the Council of Europe. The participants discussed the report's draft recommendations and suggested ways in which the recommendations should be prioritised and implemented.
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9 November 2009, FRA releases a new report on "The situation of Roma EU citizens moving to and settling in other EU Member States". This report provides evidence that Roma are strongly discriminated against and experience social exclusion when exercising their EU citizens' right of freedom of movement. The FRA report highlights shortcomings but also points out good practices across the EU. It gives concrete recommendations on how the situation could be improved.The Agency will present its Report and some positive initiatives at a Joint International Conference of the FRA, Council of Europe and the OSCE on Roma migration and freedom of movement, which takes place in Vienna on 09-10 November.
The practice of 'phallometric testing' consists in verifying the physical reaction to heterosexual pornographic material of gay men who have filed a claim for asylum on the basis of homosexual orientation. The test is performed by a professional sexologist and, in principle, only with the person's written consent, and once that person has been informed about the technique of the examination. This raises serious questions regarding the compliance of this practice with existing human rights standards.
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The FRA has published two new reports to coincide with the first day of its annual Fundamental Rights Conference which this year looks into ensuring justice and protection for children.
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On World AIDS Day 2010, FRA Director Morten Kjaerum emphasises the importance of taking a rights-based approach to responding to HIV and AIDS. 
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Joint statement ahead of International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women by the FRA and the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).
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The FRA participates in the Fourth Equality Summit held in Brussels on 15 and 16 November 2010. This Summit is an annual, high-level event focusing on equality. This year the event will concentrate on combating discrimination and promoting equality in employment.
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Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA): asylum procedures should be harmonised and improved - EU Ministerial Conference on Asylum on 13-14 September, Brussels Substantial differences exist between the asylum procedures in the 27 EU Member States, creating an uneven playing field. For the first time, EU research provides evidence about asylum-seekers' own experiences across the EU. The findings of the research will inform discussions at the ministerial conference on asylum.
Today the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is presenting its report on the fundamental rights of irregular migrants who are employed as domestic workers in the EU. Most irregular migrants in domestic work are women. The report shows that their irregular immigration status, coupled with challenges in regulating domestic work more generally, makes this group very vulnerable to exploitation, including cases of physical abuse. Typical forms of exploitation include low pay, often having to work excessive working hours, and usually not being able to obtain compensation for work-related accidents.
Fundamental rights: challenges and achievements in 2010, the flagship Annual Report of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), charts the progress made in 2010 by the European Union (EU) and its Member States towards securing the rights guaranteed by the Charter of Fundamental Rights through developments in legislation, policies and practices. The FRA Annual Report, presented at the European Parliament today, points to promising practices and obstacles to rights protection across a range of policy areas. Some of the major challenges in 2010 related to asylum, the Roma and data protection.
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The EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) has today published a report on the right to political participation of persons with mental health problems and persons with intellectual disabilities in the European Union (EU). The right to vote is a fundamental right of all EU citizens. However, in some Member States persons with mental health problems and persons with intellectual disabilities are discriminated against, since they are not granted this right.
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Four new reports issued today by the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) give evidence that data protection authorities, equality bodies and national human rights institutions across the European Union are in need of additional support.
Today, the EU Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is launching its report Access to justice in Europe: an overview of challenges and opportunities. The report will be launched in Budapest at the conference ‘Protecting victims in the EU: the road ahead', hosted by the Hungarian Presidency of the Council of the EU, with the support of the FRA. The report provides a comparative analysis of access to justice across the EU Member States and finds that there are many obstacles that make it difficult for victims to enforce their rights. This report relates mainly to civil and administrative procedures available to victims of discrimination. Although its focus is the area of non-discrimination law, its findings are generally applicable to civil and administrative procedures as a whole.
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The first comprehensive guide to European non-discrimination law is being launched at the European Court of Human Rights today, 21 March, the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
STRASBOURG, VIENNA, WARSAW 21 March 2011 - In a joint statement on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, Nils Muiznieks, Chair of the Council of Europe's European Commission against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI), Morten Kjaerum, Director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA), and Janez Lenarčič, Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR), strongly condemned manifestations of racism and related intolerance.
Today the Fundamental Rights Agency is publishing a report about the fundamental rights situation of persons entering Greece irregularly at its land border with Turkey. This report is based on field research in the Evros region in January 2011.
Today the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is publishing its findings on multiple discrimination at the European Union agencies exhibition "The way ahead", held at the European Parliament. The findings show that people belonging to 'visible' minorities, such as Roma and people of African origin, are more likely to suffer multiple discrimination – that is, being discriminated on more than one ground - than other minorities. Another relevant ground for discrimination that could increase the experience of multiple discrimination are socio-economic factors such as living with a low income.
Today the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) presents its report on Homophobia, transphobia and discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation and gender identity to Members of the European Parliament. The FRA report reveals that in some EU Member States, legislation and practice is increasing the protection of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) persons, while in others the rights of LGBT persons are being restricted or neglected. This creates an uneven landscape in the protection of LGBT rights throughout Europe.
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On 24 November, the topics of diversity and equal opportunities will take centre stage at the Vienna Town Hall. The European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights (FRA) is organising Diversity Day for the fourth time in cooperation with the City of Vienna (Youth Department) and the Vienna School Board.