AGE replied to the invitation of DG Justice aiming to consult various stakeholders, including NGOs, on the drafting of its report on the implementation of the gender equality directive 2004/113/EC. Our contribution summarised the experiences of AGE members on the transposition and concrete application of the directive in their countries, focusing on the most relevant issues in old age, in particular access to financial services.
Our contribution acknowledged that the transposition of the Council Directive 2004/113/EC has generated a more focused debate on equal treatment between men and women in the access to and supply of goods and services. This has allowed improving understanding of existing discriminatory practices in accessing everyday goods and services and tackling some of the most flagrant cases of inequality. However we stressed that there remains some uncertainty, both from the point of view of providers and consumers, about whether specific initiatives, containing a difference in treatment are in fact violating the principle of equal treatment or they can be justified.
For more information you may contact, Nena Georgantzi
, Legal Officer