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EU information campaign
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2007 – European Year of Equal opportunities for allWhy has 2007 been designated as the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All?The European Union has every reason to be proud of its anti-discrimination legislation, one of the most extensive in the world. However, the laws have to be widely known and fully applied in order to be completely effective. To this end they have to be bolstered by a clear political determination, while enjoying popular support. The European Year in 2007 will give this renewed impetus. Calling for equal rights and adopting laws to try and guarantee them is not enough to ensure equal opportunities are available for everyone in practice. Incentives have to be given to bring about a change in behaviour and mentality. Steps also have to be taken to tackle the intricate patterns of inequality suffered by certain groups and communities in Europe, while examining the roots of these problems. Finally, we have to acknowledge our societies are changing. Examples of this are the European Union's ageing population and its increasingly multiethnic makeup. The ever-growing diversity sets new challenges that we have to meet more effectively, while offering myriad opportunities that we have to seize. With this in mind, and precisely five years after the European Union adopted two very wide-ranging directives to prohibit discrimination in the workplace and in other aspects of daily life, the European Commission has proposed designating 2007 as the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All. This initiative will provide additional momentum for the anti-discrimination campaign and promote equal opportunities for all, while conveying a positive message about diversity. The Year is an initiative leading the way to a bolder strategy seeking to give momentum to the fight against discrimination in the EU, as the Commission explained in a document, published in June 2005, called "Framework strategy for non-discrimination and equal opportunities for all".
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