EU sues member nations who failed to enact pro-gay laws

The European Union's head office said Monday it is taking five countries to the European Court of Justice for failing to fully incorporate EU antidiscrimination directives into their laws. The EU laws prohibiting discrimination on racial, ethnic origin, age, disability, religion, or sexual orientation grounds were due to be adopted last year, EU spokeswoman Antonia Mochan said. The commission will refer Luxembourg and Germany to the court because they have not reported changes to their laws, Mochan said. Austria, Finland, and Greece face charges because of they have not completely adopted the law. The commission also sent warning letters to the same five member states and Belgium for failing to amend their laws to include a directive against discrimination in employment and vocational training, Mochan said. The directive deals with issues such as access to jobs and working conditions and requires "reasonable accommodation" to be made for disabled persons. The six countries will have two months to reply to the commission's charges or face possible court action later.