The insertion of Article 13 was directly followed by the Commission's proposal of an "anti-discrimination package", which included the Community Action Program to Combat Discrimination and both the Racial Equality Directive and the Employment Equality Directive.
These Directives, adopted in 2000, prohibit discrimination, harassment and victimisation in employment and training on the grounds of religion or belief, disability, age or sexual orientation. They also prohibit discrimination on the grounds of race or ethnic origin, in employment and areas beyond such as education, social security and social advantages, including housing and healthcare, and access to goods and services. While many European countries already had legislation against discrimination, the new laws aim to establish a consistent set of rights and obligations across the
