Commissioner Dalli, opening the conference, said: “The COVID-19 pandemic fueled discrimination and violence against minority groups, which extent we are unable to properly quantify. This confirms that, without evidence in the form of equality statistics, it is impossible to track progress towards equality. The absence of comparable and regular data on equality and non-discrimination prevents us from reaching out to the most vulnerable in our society, and dampens the incisiveness of our responses to current forms of discrimination.” 

Vice-President Jourová, at the closing speech emphasised: “We cannot turn a blind eye to the most marginalised people in our society. Only with comparable and reliable data, our policies will be able to ensure full inclusion and protection of all EU citizens equally. We need a common standard, which can be used equally by all Member States. To lead by example, the Commission will collect data on the diversity of its staff for the first time.”

The European Union has in place an advanced legal framework with which to promote equality and non-discrimination. However, significant proportions of people experience discrimination on a regular basis. This calls for a reconsideration of how legislation and policies to promote equality are implemented and how progress on the ground can be monitored. Equality data are a crucial element of this reconsideration and powerful tools to support the fight against discrimination and exclusion.