ÉGALITÉ was invited by Commissioner Oettinger to present action points for 2018 Action Plan on Diversity.

After having consulted our members, ÉGALITÉ proposed the following 10 points to be included in the 2018 Action Plan on Diversity that will greatly improve lives of our LGBTI+ colleagues;

Respectful work place

1. All management, HR staff and newly hired staff of the EU institutions and bodies shall be required to attend obligatory training to ensure a respectful working environment and act against biases, including in relation to sexual orientation and gender identity. The same training shall be offered to all the staff of the EU institutions and bodies on a voluntary basis;

2. The Commission shall organise annual IDAHOT conference and shall encourage other EU institutions and bodies to do the same;

LGBTI+ families

3. The Commission’s Legal Service shall offer legal advice to LGBTI+ staff, including those staff members having children, as the LGBTI+ staff, and especially those having children, face particularly difficult legal obstacles which have a direct negative impact on their private and professional lives;

4. The Commission shall update the Decision on Leave to better reflect the reality of the diversity of families, giving male EU staff members having children the right to a leave equivalent to maternity leave in cases where a woman is absent or in cases where she waives her right to maternity leave;

a. In cases where both male parents’ names appear on the birth certificate, leave should be granted to one of the parents (the EU staff member);

b. Where one male parent’s name (EU staff member) is on the birth certificate with a woman who has renounced her maternity rights;

c. Where a male parent (EU staff member) is the only person on the birth certificate.

5. The Commission shall issue guidance related to the JSIS chapter on infertility, using a wide interpretation of the term “confinement” (“maternité”) of the GIPs related to JSIS, so that:

a) LGBTI+ staff may benefit from reimbursement of insemination treatments without having to demonstrate any pathology (such as by providing a doctor’s statement explaining the impossibility to be pregnant without medical assistance);

b) After a number of failed insemination, LGBTI+ staff may benefit from reimbursement of IVF treatments without having to demonstrate any pathology. (proposal: either 4 insemination, taking into account the scientific literature, or a specific number of insemination depending on the situation as assessed by a doctor)

6. PMO shall train its staff dealing with inquiries and reimbursement of medical expenses related to IVF and insemination, in order to provide consistent information about the rules/practices, and to request reasonable information from staff seeking reimbursement ;

7. DG HR shall draft internal guidelines on different types of legal unions that exist throughout the EU and officially recognize all of them. These guidelines shall be updated yearly, and shall be promoted as a standard for the EU administration as a whole. Furthermore the same rights shall be granted to LGBTI+ couples in a recognized civil union as those granted to married couples, in cases where legal marriage is not available or would involve legal risks or loss of rights for the persons concerned.

EU staff members and local staff working in EU delegations and EU representations in the Member States

8. The External Action Service shall ensure that LGBTI+ staff has equal career opportunities in EU Delegations and missions around the world. In order to provide full information for staff considering applying for posts outside the EU, country “post reports” should systematically include information on local laws and the local climate towards LGBTI + persons in order that LGBTI+ staff can make fully informed career choices. “Post reports” should also include information about the possibility for same-sex spouses to obtain diplomatic visas, and what alternative solutions may exist if such visas cannot be granted.

9. The EEAS shall provide assistance to same-sex couples in finding the most appropriate visa regime for their personal family situations in countries for which EU staff members have been selected in EU Delegations and Missions around the world. In case no suitable visa arrangement can be found, another post shall be proposed to the staff member concerned, as LGBTI+ staff should have the equal career opportunities and the fact that they are in a same-sex relationship should not prevent them from advancing in their careers.

10. EU staff members selected for posts in EU Delegations and Missions as well as staff involved in the selection process shall follow obligatory sensitivity and bias training. It is further recommended that local staff in Delegations and Missions should follow such training courses.

We will keep you updated on the progress!