Motion for a resolution | Doc. 14544 | 26 April 2018

The protection of freedom of religion or belief in the workplace

Signatories: Sir Jeffrey DONALDSON, United Kingdom, EC ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Viorel Riceard BADEA, Romania, EPP/CD ; Sir Christopher CHOPE, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Titus CORLĂŢEAN, Romania, SOC ; Alexander [The Earl of] DUNDEE, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Valeriu GHILETCHI, Republic of Moldova, EPP/CD ; Dame Cheryl GILLAN, United Kingdom, EC ; Ms Alina Ștefania GORGHIU, Romania, EPP/CD ; Mr Frank HEINRICH, Germany, EPP/CD ; Mr John HOWELL, United Kingdom, EC ; Sir Edward LEIGH, United Kingdom, EC ; Mr Arkadiusz MULARCZYK, Poland, EC ; Mr Rónán MULLEN, Ireland, EPP/CD ; Mr Killion MUNYAMA, Poland, EPP/CD ; Mr Zsolt NÉMETH, Hungary, EPP/CD ; Mr Pieter OMTZIGT, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Ms Ria OOMEN-RUIJTEN, Netherlands, EPP/CD ; Mr Davor Ivo STIER, Croatia, EPP/CD ; Mr Ionuț-Marian STROE, Romania, EPP/CD ; Lord Don TOUHIG, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Egidijus VAREIKIS, Lithuania, EPP/CD

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

On 29 January 2015, the Parliamentary Assembly adopted Resolution 2036 (2015) on “Tackling intolerance and discrimination in Europe with a special focus on Christians.” The resolution called upon the member States of the Council of Europe to “promote reasonable accommodation within the principle of indirect discrimination so as to ensure that the right of all individuals under their jurisdiction to freedom of religion and belief is respected, without impairing for anyone the other rights also guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.”

Three years after its adoption, it is crucial to consider what steps have been taken by member States to implement the recommendations made in Resolution 2036 (2015), whether by introducing policies that would allow for an informal mechanism of reasonable accommodation or laws that would provide a formal mechanism of reasonable accommodation of religion or belief in the workplace. The Assembly should therefore review the progress that has been made, with a view to identifying good practice amongst Council of Europe member States on how best to provide reasonable accommodation in relation to religious belief.