Europe is home to a wide variety of people. This diversity brings richness to our cultures, economies and societies. The EU laws prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or belief in the workplace and on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin in all areas of life provide protection for all members of society.

Some people may be discriminated against on more than one of these grounds at the same time which is known as multiple discrimination.  For example, someone who is older and disabled, young and from a racial or ethnic minority, or gay and catholic may be more likely to face discrimination on multiple grounds.

Despite the existence of European laws, a Eurobarometer survey, Discrimination in the EU in 2009, published in late 2009 showed that many Europeans believe that discrimination is still widespread, with people most likely to be discriminated against on the grounds of racial or ethnic origin (61 %), age (58 %) and disability (53 %), sexual orientation (47 %) and religion or belief (39 %).

Ensuring that all members of society have equal opportunities is not just a legal requirement or a moral argument but a necessity for a thriving and cohesive society in the twenty-first century.

Europe’s workforce is changing

Today there are four workers for each retired person, but by 2050 this number will have fallen by half. This means that in the future there will not be enough people able to work to support the retired generation and fill this ‘gap’.

As well these demographic changes, there are many challenges brought by globalisation such as increased competition, new technologies and new ways of working. A workforce made up of people of all ages, disabled people, people of diverse racial or ethnic origins, of different religions or beliefs and different sexual orientations, therefore reflects the society in which we now live. This diversity can enrich businesses by bringing different skills, experiences, ideas and perspectives.  

This section explains how EU legislation affects you or those around you, and how EU initiatives, such as the ‘For Diversity. Against Discrimination.’ information campaign, are working to combat discrimination.
It also provides help and advice for employers on how to recruit and manage a diverse workforce.

Documents and publications are available for employers who would like to deepen their understanding of discrimination and diversity issues in the Resources section.