Against this background, the Commission would be failing in its duty if it were to make purely symbolic proposals that changed nothing on the ground in any of the Member States. In short, we will be looking to strike a balance between ambition and realism. But I would like briefly to outline our current thinking. What we have in mind is a package of three proposals. First, a framework Directive that would deal on a general basis with all grounds of discrimination in employment.
Employment is the area where all forms and grounds of discrimination exist.
It is also what constitutes, for people in the European Union, the main guarantee for social inclusion, for the full participation of the individual in economic, cultural and social life and for the enjoyment of basic human rights and freedoms. And a framework Directive that is horizontal in nature is completely consistent with the broad coverage of Article 13. This will go beyond the workplace to also cover other areas such as goods and services, health, education and sport. Research and experience tell us that racial discrimination is a rapidly increasing problem in European society. And there is undeniable political momentum here.