EU Commission plans procedure against Hungary and Poland over LGBT discrimination

"Financial Times" informed on Wednesday that the European Commission was preparing to launch a procedure against Hungary and Poland over discrimination of LGBT people. In the case of Hungary, the EU executive is concerned with the recently adopted ban on "promoting" LGBT. In Poland, the EU wants to address the so-called LGBT-free zones, or resolutions proclaiming certain municipalities free of "LGBT ideology".

According to TVN24 correspondent in Brussels Maciej Sokołowski, who unofficially confirmed the "FT" news, the planned infringement procedure may be announced on Thursday. If the procedure does not lead to a settlement with the Polish authorities, the case may be referred to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Sokołowski also said the EC had long thought whether it could take action regarding resolutions by local authorities, as it does not have direct authority to change such resolutions. It turns out the Commission has found a way. The procedure against Poland is to pertain to a "lack of cooperation between Polish authorities" in terms of explaining the so-called LGBT-free zones.

TVN24 correspondent added that, according to his sources, the EU executive is concerned the adopted resolutions may be discriminating. In order to examine them closely, it asked the Polish authorities for information, but they did not provide any. Hence, the Commission argues, the need for launching a procedure.

The Commission asked the Polish authorities, among other things, to explain what "freedom from LGBT ideology" meant, what was the exact meaning of the resolutions, what influence the local authorities had regarding employment policies, as well as what actions were taken locally to tackle discrimination.