ILGA-EUROPE’S SUBMISSION TO PROGRESS REPORTS OF THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION 2018

LGBTI ENLARGEMENT REVIEW 2018

The EU accession process has been, and continues to be, a driving force for change in the recognition of the human rights of LGBTI people throughout the region not only through the criteria that countries have to meet, but through the annual Enlargement Reports. Year on year the human rights of LGBTI people continue to feature notably in the reports, assessing progress to date and setting out recommendations for the authorities to implement in the future , as well as providing a key tool used by LGBTI organisations in the region to engage with their governments and hold them accountable for the commitments made.

In order to ensure an accurate representation of the developments relating to the human rights of LGBTI people ILGA-Europe, together with our member organisations in EU accession countries, have compiled this submissions to the Progress Reports of the European Commission.

This report reflects developments in the recognition and respect for the human rights of LGBTI people in each accession country during the period from January through December 2018. It is intended to assist the European Commission in assessing the progress made en route to EU accession in each country to date. In addition to outlining key developments and challenges on the road to LGBTI equality, the report also highlights gaps in legislation and policy for the promotion and protection of the human rights of LGBTI people, and the priorities which authorities in each country should tackle in the coming year, as identified by LGBTI activists in respective countries.
We hope that this input will be useful in the process of assessing the progress of each country to date, and in identifying key priorities in the coming year.