Union of Equality: LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026-2030 - Timeline

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Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee – Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions – Union of Equality: LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026-2030 (COM(2025) 725 final)

EESC 2025/03887

OJ C, C/2026/3554, 22.7.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/3554/oj (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, GA, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/3554/oj

Date of document:: 29/04/2026; Date of vote
Date of vote:: 29/04/2026
Date lodged:: 25/11/2025

Author:: European Economic and Social Committee
Responsible body:: Section for Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship, EESC_SOC
Rapporteur:: Juliane Marie NEIIENDAM
Form:: Opinion
Internal reference:: AVIS-SECTION 2025/3887 FIN, SOC/849
Session:: 605

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Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union

Legal basis:

12016E304

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52025DC0725 ESC Opinion

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05.20.05.10 Freedom of movement for workers and social policy / Social policy / General social provisions / Anti-discrimination
05.20.05.20 Freedom of movement for workers and social policy / Social policy / General social provisions / Gender equality

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Official Journal
of the European Union

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C/2026/3554

22.7.2026

Opinion of the European Economic and Social Committee

Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions

Union of Equality: LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026-2030

(COM(2025) 725 final)

(C/2026/3554)

Rapporteur:

Juliane Marie NEIIENDAM

Advisor	Pieter CANNOOT (to the Group III rapporteur)
Referral	European Commission, 25.11.2025
Legal basis	Article 304 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union
Section responsible	Employment, Social Affairs and Citizenship
Adopted in section	14.4.2026
Adopted at plenary session	29.4.2026
Plenary session No	605
Outcome of vote (for/against/abstentions)	166/4/14

1. Conclusions and recommendations

THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE (EESC):

1.1.

welcomes the Union of Equality: LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026–2030 as an essential framework for advancing equal rights across the EU. However, it stresses that persistent violence, harassment and exclusion, particularly affecting trans, non-binary, and intersex persons, require stronger and more consistent EU action;

1.2.

calls for robust monitoring, accountability and enforcement, including binding benchmarks linked to EU funding, systematic infringement procedures for non-compliant Member States and a transparent monitoring framework involving the Fundamental Rights Agency (FRA), the social partners and civil society, along with the swift adoption of the Horizontal Equal Treatment Directive, and calls on all Member States to adopt and implement national LGBTIQ+ equality strategies;

1.3.

urges the Commission to counter anti-LGBTIQ+ backlash and shrinking civic space through proactive EU measures including strategic litigation support and, where necessary, appropriate sanctions, protection of fundamental rights, counter-disinformation initiatives and sustained funding for civil society organisations, particularly in hostile environments;

1.4.

stresses the need to close workplace inclusion gaps by increasing engagement with social partners and civil society, supporting diversity training co-designed with LGBTIQ+ organisations, promoting inclusive procurement and financial incentives for equality-focused businesses, and encouraging social dialogue, collective bargaining and agreements on inclusion while respecting the autonomy of social partners, and ensuring that the public sector leads by example;

1.5.

highlights the importance of adequate and visible financing from the next Multiannual Financial Framework, including the Agora Programme and the Mechanism for Member States, to fund inclusion measures, strengthen national equality bodies and enhance data collection with intersectional analysis;

1.6.

calls for comprehensive health and education equity, including targeted mental health and gender-affirming care, healthcare autonomy for all LGBTIQ+ persons, a binding legal ban on conversion practices, inclusive anti-discrimination laws explicitly covering gender identity, expression and sex characteristics and stronger EU support for safe, inclusive schools and teacher training;

1.7.

underlines the need to integrate LGBTIQ+ equality more firmly into EU social inclusion, housing, and anti-poverty policies, addressing the heightened risks of poverty, homelessness and housing insecurity linked to intersectional discrimination;

1.8.

recommends specific safeguards for emerging technologies rooted in a rights-first approach in line with the AI Act and the GDPR, including mandatory fairness audits for AI systems and stronger obligations on digital platforms to prevent and address online hate speech against LGBTIQ+ persons;

1.9.

calls for legal gaps to be closed in family rights, gender recognition based on self-determination, and equal treatment, by increasing legal aid and capacity building for strategic litigation, improving dissemination and implementation of the case law of European courts and aligning national laws with EU and international law;

1.10.

supports EU action to promote inclusion in culture, sport and public life by protecting artistic freedom and developing inclusive policies for LGBTIQ+ athletes, especially transgender and intersex athletes, which ensure fairness, safety and dignity;

1.11.

reaffirms its readiness to support the Commission, Member States, social partners and civil society in implementing the Strategy effectively and translating commitments into tangible improvements in the lives of LGBTIQ+ persons across the EU.

2. Background

2.1.

Despite some progress, LGBTIQ+ persons in the EU continue to face high levels of discrimination, violence, harassment and exclusion. According to the FRA EU LGBTIQ Survey III (2023) (1), 36 % experienced discrimination and 55 % harassment in the previous year, while physical and sexual attacks rose to 14 %, disproportionately affecting trans and intersex persons. Bullying remains widespread in schools, affecting 67 % of LGBTIQ+ students, along with persistent hate crime and hate speech, particularly targeting trans, non-binary and intersex persons.

2.2.

The EESC points to its opinion on the 2020–2025 Strategy (2) and the Commission’s implementation report (3), both of which recognise progress in visibility and coordination but identify persistent gaps in implementation, weak enforcement, inadequate data and insufficient protection in increasingly hostile political environments, with many concerns unresolved or worsening.

2.3.

Since 2020, organised anti-LGBTIQ+ backlash has intensified in several Member States, including legislative rollbacks, restrictions on education and expression and attacks on civil society and peaceful gatherings such as Pride events. This has been reinforced by rising online hate and disinformation, growing polarisation around gender identity and expression and increasing socioeconomic inequalities affecting LGBTIQ+ persons, particularly those facing intersectional discrimination.

3. Specific comments

Implementation and enforcement gaps, and data collection

3.1.

Insufficient and uneven implementation remains the main weakness of the previous Strategy, as confirmed by the Commission’s report, resulting in significant disparities in protection and outcomes across Member States.

3.2.

The EESC calls for firmer and more consistent enforcement through systematic infringement procedures, rigorous application of the rule of law conditionality mechanism and the integration of LGBTIQ+ equality benchmarks into the European Semester, EU funding instruments and rule of law monitoring.

3.3.

Intersectionality should also be further mainstreamed into other equality strategies targeting disadvantaged or vulnerable groups, such as the Gender Equality and Anti-Racism Strategy.

3.4.

There are persistent gaps in comparable, disaggregated and intersectional data which continue to undermine evidence-based policymaking. The EESC calls for closer cooperation with the FRA and national statistical authorities to mainstream LGBTIQ+ equality and intersectionality across EU policies. It calls for better capture of the lived experiences of groups facing multiple discrimination, including migrants, racialised communities, persons with disabilities, LBTIQ+ women, younger and older people and those affected by poverty or homelessness, specifically including groups that are often invisible such as older LGBTIQ+ persons in care settings, as well as LGBTIQ+ persons living in rural and remote areas.

Shrinking space for civil society

3.5.

Given setbacks in diversity efforts globally, the EESC welcomes the Strategy’s recognition of backlash and anti-gender movements but calls for a proactive EU response to counter disinformation, hate speech, shrinking civic space and attacks on freedom of assembly as demonstrated by the growing restrictions on Pride events.

3.6.

The EESC stresses the need to safeguard the rule of law, civic space, academic freedom and independent media, and calls for strict application of the rule of law conditionality to prevent EU funds from supporting activities that undermine fundamental values, including the suspension of payments in cases of legislative backsliding or discriminatory practices against LGBTIQ+ persons.

3.7.

The EESC calls for sustained political support, protection and accessible funding for LGBTIQ+ organisations, social partners and human rights defenders, alongside targeted EU support for training law enforcement and legal professionals and for long-term, well-funded public awareness campaigns developed with civil society, including in rural and hostile environments, where stigma is often more prevalent. The EESC welcomes the establishment of the LGBTIQ+ Policy Forum to foster dialogue between civil society, social partners and academia.

Trans and intersex rights

3.8.

Progress on trans and intersex rights remains limited and uneven across the EU, despite to the core role played by these rights in equality and bodily autonomy. Non-consensual medical interventions on intersex persons persist and must be prohibited through binding safeguards protecting bodily integrity, free and informed consent and self-determination. The Recommendation of the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers on equal rights for intersex persons (4) provides an important reference and should be fully implemented by Member States.

3.9.

Legal gender recognition and access to gender-affirming healthcare remain inconsistent and often subject to intrusive medical requirements, in violation of fundamental rights and Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) case law. Legal gender recognition should be based on self-determination, without mandatory surgery, sterilisation or psychiatric diagnoses, fully in line with fundamental rights. All trans persons should have equal access to gender-affirming care, with respect for their personal autonomy.

Health and well-being

3.10.

FRA data show that LGBTIQ+ persons continue to face significant health inequalities, including barriers to accessing healthcare and fear of discrimination by healthcare staff. One consequence is higher rates of depression, especially among young people, reflecting systemic exclusion rather than individual vulnerability. Action is needed to counter misinformation, improve intersectional awareness and ensure effective healthcare in rural and remote areas.

3.11.

Access to competent, inclusive healthcare remains uneven across the EU, including gender-affirming care, mental health services, HIV screening and prevention (such as pre-and post-exposure prophylaxis), and self-harm and suicide prevention. Adequate social protection and security are essential prerequisites for access to effective healthcare, including digital health programmes.

3.12.

Practices aimed at changing, erasing or suppressing sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression remain widespread and cause severe harm. These may include religious rituals, medical interventions, psychological pressure and family coercion, yet only a minority of Member States have some conversion bans in place. Following up on the successful European Citizens’ Initiative and EESC opinions on the subject, binding EU legislation is needed to prohibit conversion practices, recognise them as inhuman and degrading treatment, and ensure enforcement, including sanctions, victim support and safeguards for public health and bodily autonomy (5).

Education and bullying

3.13.

Bullying and harassment in schools remain widespread, particularly affecting trans, non-binary and intersex students, with lasting consequences for well-being, educational attainment and social inclusion. Steps must be taken to ensure protocols against LGBTIQ+ bullying and violence are put in place in educational institutions.

3.14.

Inclusive education, visibility of LGBTIQ+ role models and comprehensive sexuality education are proven to improve well-being, resilience and safety for young people. Restrictions on inclusive curriculums undermine children’s rights and equality and should be actively countered through evidence-based education, teacher training and whole-school approaches aligned with fundamental rights.

3.15.

Digital environments increasingly shape school experiences. Under the Digital Services Act, digital platforms should be required to report on measures taken to counter algorithms amplifying anti-LGBTIQ+ hate speech, including in educational contexts.

Socioeconomic inequality and housing

3.16.

Discrimination contributes to structural socioeconomic inequalities for LGBTIQ+ persons (6), including higher risks of unemployment, poverty, homelessness, and housing insecurity, particularly among youth, older people, migrants, and those facing intersectional discrimination.

3.17.

Targeted EU support is needed for homeless young LGBTIQ+ persons, including funding for specialised shelters and reintegration programmes, as generic services often fail to provide safe environments. The Strategy’s housing dimension should be more closely linked to the European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan and anti-poverty and social inclusion policies.

3.18.

LGBTIQ+ migrants and asylum seekers face compounded vulnerabilities and require tailored socioeconomic protection, alongside streamlined procedures to regularise status and access to housing, work and services.

Workplace inclusion and social partners

3.19.

Promoting inclusive workplaces is essential, not only for equality but also for innovation, productivity and competitiveness. However, despite EU non-discrimination laws, LGBTIQ+ persons are more likely to face barriers to recruitment, career progression and workplace safety, particularly trans, non-binary and intersectionally discriminated workers.

3.20.

The EESC emphasises the key role of the social partners and social dialogue in transposing legal protections into inclusive workplace cultures, while respecting the diversity of collective bargaining systems across Member States. Through collective agreements, workplace policies, training and awareness-raising initiatives, social partners can address issues such as fair recruitment, career development, harassment prevention, support for gender transition at work, occupational health and psychosocial risks, and equal access to work-life balance arrangements, as well as effective access to justice for victims of discrimination, including through collective action, in line with relevant European and international standards, inter alia ILO Convention No. 190.

3.21.

The EESC recognises the social partners’ need for practical support in making workplace inclusion a reality. Effective tools, guidance and training – developed with organised civil society – can strengthen capacity to promote inclusive leadership, fair recruitment and career development. These efforts should be supported by EU funding, skills initiatives and proportionate monitoring, as well as responsible public procurement practices.

Artificial intelligence and equality

3.22.

AI systems increasingly shape access to employment, healthcare, social services and justice, but risk reinforcing discrimination where bias and inadequate safeguards persist, particularly for LGBTIQ+ persons facing multiple forms of marginalisation.

3.23.

The Strategy’s implementation should explicitly address AI-related discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics, including strict oversight of AI use in recruitment. A rights-based approach to AI is therefore needed, grounded in accountability, transparency and equality safeguards aligned with EU fundamental rights, as well as with the AI Act and the GDPR.

Legal challenges and access to justice

3.24.

Courts remain central to advancing LGBTIQ+ rights. Litigation is often the only viable pathway for progress where legislation or enforcement lag behind EU and Council of Europe standards. The interaction between the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights (Charter) and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) should also ensure at least equivalent protection of fundamental rights, enabling the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) to build on European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) standards, especially regarding gender recognition, same-sex couples and family rights. The EESC firmly rejects laws targeting LGBTIQ+ persons justified using a pretext of ‘protecting children’, such as restrictions on freedom of expression or education observed in some Member States.

3.25.

Beginning with Coman and Others (7), the CJEU established that Member States must recognise same-sex marriages legally concluded in the EU to ensure free movement rights, even in countries where under national law they are not permitted. This reasoning was subsequently extended to children of same-sex couples (8) and legal gender recognition (9). Cupriak-Trojan (10) confirmed that Member States must recognise same-sex marriages for all legal contexts where marriage status is invoked. In Shipova (11) , the CJEU held that Member States must enable gender recognition for their nationals who have exercised their right to free movement. Other rulings (12) allow equality associations to seek actions without identifiable victims, expanding enforcement under the Employment Equality Directive.

3.26.

Member States have a binding legal duty to fully implement and comply with CJEU and ECtHR judgments. Failure to do so undermines the fundamental rights framework and the uniform application of EU law, and must be addressed through effective enforcement mechanisms, including infringement procedures.

3.27.

The instrumentalisation of discriminatory legislation and administrative barriers to restrict Pride marches constitutes a clear violation of the freedom of assembly and expression. The EU must move beyond symbolic responses and deploy robust legal and financial tools to combat institutionalised LGBTIQ+-phobia. The EESC therefore strongly welcomes the Opinion of Advocate General Ćapeta in the case of Commission v Hungary (13). The EU must take appropriate action against institutional persecution, discriminatory policies and restrictions on fundamental rights in Member States.

3.28.

The EESC continues to call for efficient instruments to fight discrimination, including outside the world of work (14). The Horizontal Equal Treatment Directive, which would strengthen protection against discrimination beyond employment, regrettably remains stalled in the Council. Its adoption is crucial to closing persistent gaps in LGBTIQ+ equality across the EU. Similarly, the EESC calls for the adoption of the Regulation on the recognition of parenthood between Member States (15).

3.29.

Recent case-law (Deldits (16) and Mousse (17)) shows that data protection law may also serve as an equality tool, with the CJEU ruling that gender identity falls within the scope of personal data (GDPR), constraining discriminatory digital and administrative acts. The EESC urges the Commission to respond to these recent developments in CJEU case law, and to related calls from civil society, by proposing adding gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics as self-standing protected grounds to EU equality directives.

3.30.

Given the increase in hate speech and hate crimes targeting LGBTIQ+ persons in the EU, the EESC welcomes the Commission’s announcement that it is considering a legislative initiative under Article 83(1) TFEU to harmonise the definition of hate offences committed online. The EESC further urges the Council to adopt a decision to include hate speech and hate crimes in the list of ‘EU crimes’ under Article 83(1) TFEU, allowing the Commission to propose harmonisation beyond the online context (18).

Culture, sports and public life

3.31.

Cultural expression plays a key role in fostering inclusion, yet LGBTIQ+ artists, activists and performers increasingly face hate speech, censorship, funding cuts and political backlash, threatening freedom of expression and visibility. Stronger EU support is needed to protect artistic freedom regarding sexual and gender diversity, promote inclusive cultural policies and initiatives, foster LGBTIQ+ leisure and cultural spaces, and safeguard funding for LGBTIQ+ cultural expression to counter stigma and strengthen social acceptance.

3.32.

The inclusion of trans and intersex athletes remains highly polarised and inconsistently regulated, contributing to exclusion and stigma across all levels of sport. A rights-based, evidence-informed EU approach is needed to ensure inclusion, fairness and safety, developed through dialogue with sporting bodies, athletes, medical experts and civil society and supported by inclusive guidelines and awareness-raising to reduce stigma and promote dignity for all athletes.

3.33.

The EESC emphasises that LGBTIQ+ persons must be able to participate fully and safely in democratic and public life, including standing for political office and engaging in public debate. The EU and Member States should promote inclusive political environments and should address harassment, hate speech and discrimination that discourage LGBTIQ+ participation and undermine democratic pluralism.

Brussels, 29 April 2026.

The President

of the European Economic and Social Committee

Séamus BOLAND

(1) LGBTIQ equality at a crossroads: progress and challenges | European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.

(2) OJ C 286, 16.7.2021, p. 128.

(3) Report on the implementation of the 2020–2025 LGBTIQ Equality Strategy.

(4) CM/Rec(2025)7.

(5) OJ C 286, 16.7.2021, p. 128 and the EESC opinion on ‘Ban on conversion practices in the European Union’ (OJ C, C/2026/C/2026/3539, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/3539/oj).

(6) LGBTIQ equality at a crossroads: progress and challenges | European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights.

(7) EUR-Lex – 62016CJ0673 – EN – EUR-Lex.

(8) EUR-Lex – 62020CJ0490 – EN – EUR-Lex.