WRITTEN QUESTION E-2511/99

by María Sornosa Martínez (PSE) and María Valenciano Martínez-Orozco (PSE) to the Commission

(22 December 1999)

Subject: Infringement of the principle of sex equality in chess tournaments within the European Union

By law, all the EU Member States specifically ban mixed chess tournaments involving matches between players of the opposite sex. However, playing chess (which is an intellectual pursuit) does not require any particular muscular or physical capacity which could justify segregating players on the basis of their sex. Last year the Commission, in reply to a petition submitted by the Spanish citizen José Eduardo Da Riva Alfonso (Petition No 253/98), took the view that there was no justification whatever for such discrimination. Although it was true that, in certain sports, men and women competed in different categories, chess did not require any specific physical preparation or ability which was beyond the reach of women.

To quote from the Amsterdam Treaty and, in particular the following Articles thereof:

- Article 2: The Community shall have as its task, by mldr implementing common policies or activities mldr, to promote mldr equality between men and women,

- Article 3: mldr the activities of the Community shall include mldr a contribution to education and training of quality mldr; the Community shall aim to eliminate inequalities, and to promote equality between men and women;

- Article 13: mldr the Council, mldr on a proposal from the Commission and after consulting the European Parliament, may take appropriate action to combat discrimination based on sex mldr,

and in view of the fact that discrimination in chess-playing and coaching is not covered by Directive 76/207/EEC(1) (on equal treatment as regards employment) since chess players cannot be regarded as salaried employees, does the Commission not think that, on the basis of the above-quoted articles, legislative initiatives should be launched in order to ensure that neither of the sexes is discriminated against in the pursuit of sport in general and chess in particular?

Does the Commission believe that it has done all it can to provide the Council with proposals intended to eradicate sex discrimination, which is one of the priority objectives laid down in the EC Treaty?

(1) OJ L 39, 14.2.1976, p. 40.

Answer given by Mrs Reding on behalf of the Commission

(14 February 2000)

The Commission is keen to emphasise that, just like the Honourable Member, it is very attentive to the issue of non-discrimination between women and men.

As pointed out by the Honourable Member, sport is an area in which equal opportunities are of particular importance. In certain sports men and women compete in separate categories in order to ensure opportunities for women and so one can speak of positive discrimination. In order to assemble all the relevant information with a view to assessing whether this principle applies to chess, the Commission will contact the competent international organisations in this field.

The Commission shares the Honourable Member's opinion that this issue must be seen in the general context of equal opportunities. A standing group of Commissioners has been put in place, chaired by the President of the Commission; the group's Vice-President is the Commissioner for employment and social affairs. The group's mandate is mainly to ensure that the gender dimension is taken into account in all relevant Community policies and actions, pursuant to Article 3(2) of the Treaty(1). Besides, on 26 November 1999 the Commission transmitted to the Council and, for consultation, to the European Parliament, a proposal for a Council Decision establishing a Community action programme to combat discrimination(2) and proposals for directives establishing a general framework for equal treatment in employment and occupation(3) and on implementing the principle of equal treatment between persons irrespective of racial or ethnic origin(4).

(1) Communication from the President Groups of Members of the Commission.

(2) SEC(1999) 1483 COM(1999) 567 final.

(3) COM(1999) 565 final.

(4) COM(1999) 566 final.