Age discrimination still blights the lives of millions - Liz Lynne MEP

12.29.38pm GMT Fri 13th Feb 2009

Age discrimination still blights the lives of millions - Liz Lynne MEP

At a conference hosted today by Age Concern in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on the forthcoming European elections, Liberal Democrat Euro MP Liz Lynne highlighted the deep-rooted problem of age discrimination across Europe whilst criticising the UK Government's decision to maintain a mandatory retirement age and its failure to bring forward long overdue age discrimination legislation in access to goods and services.

Liz, who was invited to speak at the event in her role as Vice President for the European Parliament's Employment and Social Affairs Committee, was recently dubbed the EU's "Equality Rapporteur" after successfully pushing the European Commission to bring forward new equality legislation on all remaining grounds including age.

Speaking at the conference Liz said:

"Older people are often the first to lose their jobs as economic recession kicks in. It is essential that EU age discrimination legislation in the workplace, which the Government was reluctant to bring in, is now effectively implemented and that means an end to the mandatory retirement age which leaves so many people who want to carry on working on the scrapheap purely on the basis of their age."

On the need for EU wide age discrimination legislation in access to goods and services Liz said:

"We must work to end the UK's hierarchy of rights which means that older people and younger people currently still have no protection from discrimination in access to everyday goods and services, for example in the delivery of healthcare.

"I am delighted that following my calls and those of others and despite opposition from Tory MEPs the European Commission has now made the commitment to bring forward legislation to outlaw discrimination on the grounds of age in this area. It is vital these proposals are now supported unambiguously by the Government."