The Equal Treatment Act Alliance welcomes the appointment of the Independent Authority while calling on the government to listen to them in its regulation. [editar]
The Alliance for the Comprehensive Law on Equal Treatment welcomes her appointment, even though it is more than two years late, given that she is an essential body for the effective application of the Ley Integral para la Igualdad de Trato y la No Discriminación, without which ‘this anti-discrimination legislation would remain a dead letter’.
At the same time, the organisations regret that the Government is not encouraging the participation of civil society in the regulation that develops its functioning and competences, which is why they have registered a request for public information through the Transparency Law.
Entities of the Alliance for the Comprehensive Law on Equal Treatment, made up of fourteen leading organisations in the fight against different forms of discrimination, welcome the fact that yesterday the Council of Ministers approved the appointment of María Teresa Verdugo, a prosecutor specialising in hate crimes, to the role of Independent Authority for Equal Treatment, whom they congratulate and extend their hand to collaborate in the fulfilment of her task once her appointment is endorsed by the Congress of Deputies.
On 12 July 2022, the Integral Law for Equal Treatment and Non-Discrimination was finally passed, a historic moment that was widely celebrated and recognised by the Alliance as an essential instrument to fight discrimination and fulfil the principle of equality in a broad and comprehensive manner, with one of its central mandates being the creation of the Independent Authority.
This body, in addition to being a requirement under European anti-discrimination law, is central to the implementation of the Act. Among its various functions, it is responsible for monitoring compliance with equal treatment regulations, conducting investigations into the existence of possible situations of particularly serious discrimination, bringing legal action in the most serious cases of discrimination, and requesting action by the state administration to sanction conduct constituting an administrative offence.
Delays in appointment and lack of civil society participation
The appointment was more than two years late, as the law stipulated that the body should be established by January 2023 at the latest. The organisations regret this delay, as they have seen that without this body it is practically impossible to implement this law and to provide redress to people who suffer discrimination in their daily lives.
Likewise, the Alliance for the Comprehensive Law on Equal Treatment has expressed its unease that the government is not encouraging the participation of civil society in the regulatory development of the functioning and competences of this body, despite having requested it by letter on repeated occasions since the Law was passed. As organisations specialised in accompanying victims of different forms of discrimination, they believe that they should be consulted in this process in order to contribute their knowledge and experience. For this reason, the organisations have today registered a joint request for public information in accordance with the provisions of the Law on Transparency, asking for information on the development of this regulation, as well as on the channels of public consultation that will be provided.
The Alliance for the Equal Treatment Act is made up of the following organisations: Accem, Asociación Rumiñahui, CERMI, CESIDA, CEAR, CONVIVE - Fundación Cepaim, Cruz Roja Española, Federación Estatal LGTBI+, Fundación Secretariado Gitano, HOGAR SÍ, Movimiento por la Paz-MPDL, Provivienda, Red Acoge y Save The Children.