From: steff@inet.uni2.dk
Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 21:43:25 +0200 (METDST)
Subject: PRESS release from ILGA-Europe

The European Region of
The International Lesbian and Gay Association
ILGA-Europe
81, rue Marche-au-Charbon
B-1000  Bruxelles
http://inet.uni2.dk/~steff/ilgaeur.htm
ILGA-Europe enjoys status with the Council of Europe
___________________________________________________________________________
Vienna 13 July 1998

PRESS RELEASE

ILGA-Europe meets with EU presidency

For the first time representatives of ILGA-Europe has met with representatives 
of the presidency of the European Union. In the second half of 1998 Austria 
holds the presidency and board members of ILGA-Europe met Monday with 
representatives of the Austrian government in Vienna.

`It was indeed a very fruitful meeting held in a very positive atmosphere', said 
Jackie Lewis, co-chair of ILGA-Europe, after meeting.  `We got the impression 
that the Austrian presidency will try to include a broad anti-discrimination 
perspective in its general human rights approach.'

For ILGA-Europe the implementation of article 13 in the new consolidated version 
of the EU treaty is essential; it deals with anti-discrimination based on a 
range of grounds among which is sexual orientation. Steffen Jensen, member of 
the board of ILGA-Europe, explained that it was emphasised during the meeting 
that the policy of ILGA-Europe is that article 13 should be implemented in 
general terms covering all kinds of discrimination, and that ILGA-Europe do not 
want specific legislation covering sexual orientation alone. `It was 
satisfactory to us that the representatives of the presidency echoed this view', 
said Kurt Krickler, co-chair of ILGA-Europe.

Jackie Lewis added: `We had a discussion about the range of meetings on human 
rights and anti-discrimination that has been planned for the coming six months, 
and we assured the presidency that we would be prepared to give our input to 
these meetings. This was welcomed by the representatives of the presidency.`

`It was positive that the representatives of the Austrian government agreed with 
us in our viewpoint that discrimination cannot be fought through legislation 
alone; it is as important to try to combat discrimination through other means, 
e.g. in education, through research etc.', said Steffen Jensen.

Unfortunately it was also necessary to give critical comments in a meeting with 
representatives of Austria since the legislation of Austria is in contradiction 
to the European Convention of Human Rights as it still contains a different age 
of consent for hetero- and homosexual relations. `It will be difficult for the 
European Union to be taken serious in demanding from new member states to comply 
with the Convention of Human Rights when one of the member states does not', 
said Kurt Krickler.

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Further information:
Jackie Lewis: Tel.  +44 171 926 4771; fax: + 44 171 498 7807; e-mail: 
jackielewis@compuserve.com
Kurt Krickler: Tel & fax: +43 1 545 1310; e-mail: hosiwien@via.at
Steffen Jensen: Tel: +45 3324 6435; fax: +45 4049 9257; e-mail: 
steff@inet.uni2.dk
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ILGA-Europe is the European part of the International Lesbian and Gay 
Association (ILGA) and is an umbrella organisation for European lesbian and gay 
associations.

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Steffen Jensen
E-mail: steff@inet.uni2.dk 
http://inet.uni2.dk/~steff
Tel. +45 3324 6435 or +45 2033 0840  Fax: +45 4049 5297