DG Budget, European Commission

This study was undertaken for the Commission to assist it in its work on new initiatives designed to prevent and combat discrimination outside the labour market – based on gender, religion, belief, disability, age or sexual orientation and to enhance a better reconciliation between family and professional life. GHK collated and analysed information on: the existence of such discrimination in all the Member States; the possible costs and benefits (for business, the public sector and for individuals) of adopting non-binding measures to tackle such discrimination; the societal, economic and environmental costs of not extending legal protection against such discrimination; the environmental costs of possible adaptations that might be required in the context of an extended legal prohibition of discrimination on grounds of disability and age; possible macro-economic effects and the cross-border effects of having differing levels of legal protection against such discrimination.