The Green Party yesterday slammed the government's decision to lend its support to EU countries that do not offer gay civil partnerships, and questioned its commitment to LGBT rights after it back-tracked following pressure from the House of Lords.
Despite the UK's own recognition of civil partnerships, the government made a submission to the European Court of Human Rights saying Austria should not have an obligation to provide the same rights to same sex couples. The opinion was submitted as part of a case brought by an Austrian couple who argued that Austria had violated their right to a private and family life, the right not to suffer discrimination, and the right to marry [1].
Green Party MEP for London, Jean Lambert, said:
"Across the EU and in the European Parliament we are pushing for the equal recognition of civil partnerships in all member states [2]. However, it seems that the UK government voluntarily lent its support in this case to EU Member States who do not wish to allow the same rights to same sex couples as heterosexual couples.
"One would hope that a government supposedly committed to equal treatment would also promote the principle outside its own borders.
"This clearly displays the government's own confusion with what it hopes to achieve for LGBT human rights. Human rights are meant to be universal and indivisible, however, it would appear that the British government does not think so and is making it more difficult for those at the EU level who are arguing for the mutual recognition of civil partnerships and marriages."
Notes
[1] Following questions posed by Lord Lester in the House Lords, the government abandoned its submission about same sex civil partnerships, but is maintaining its position on same sex marriage.
[2] In September 2008, a Written Declaration on the equal recognition of civil partnerships was co-signed in the European Parliament by Green MEP for the South East, Caroline Lucas MEP, as well as MEPs Sharon Bowles, Elspeth Attwooll, Martine Roure and Anders Wijkman. It called for:
• Member states with existing same-sex partnership legislation to recognise the arrangement of other Member States that have similar provision
• The Commission to draw guidelines for mutual recognition between Member States with existing legislation