European Commission closes infringement proceedings against Malta

Infringement proceedings launched by the European Commission against Malta have been closed following the country’s successful implementation of EU rules on racial discrimination.

The Commission said this morning it was also closing similar cases against Spain and Slovakia.

The cases had been opened because national legislation was incompatible with the EU's Race Equality Directive, adopted in November 2000. This prohibited direct and indirect discrimination based on racial or ethnic origin both in and outside employment.

Vladimír Špidla, Commissioner for Equal Opportunities, said:

"Tackling all forms of discrimination has been a priority for this Commission and for me personally. The EU has a unique legal framework to ensure protection against discrimination, but it also has to be correctly transposed and applied at national level to be effective. I am particularly happy that, following action by the Commission, three more member states have brought their rules into line with common EU rules."