THE DEVELOPMENT OF EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES THEORY AND PRACTICE IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY

This article examines the development of equal opportunities policies and practice within the EC since 1975. There is a comparative focus on policies relating to women, race and disability within the framework of a concept of equality of opportunity as a primary right. It is demonstrated that equal opportunities policy has developed most strongly in relation to women and represents the model for implementation. Action in respect of race and disability is less advanced. Overall, current equal opportunities policy is now more radical in its approach, but its implementation is hampered by the operation of the subsidiarity principle. It is the central contention of this article that unless equality of opportunity is recognised as a primary right then the policies followed will never go far enough to fulfil the basic social objectives of the EC.