Press Invitation
Combating Discrimination in Europe: Regions and MEPs speak out

On the occasion of the launch of the anti-discrimination truck tour in Strasbourg, which is due to leave the Alsatian capital on Wednesday 25th April, European regions and MEPs team up to announce joint initiatives on the integration of ethnic minorities, migrant women and gender equality.

'We want to show that the regions of Europe have been working for years on these crucial issues', said Klaus Klipp, Secretary General of the Assembly of European Regions (AER, www.aer.eu), as he announced the press conference.

MEPs Patrizia Toia (ALDE, I), Edit Bauer (EPP, SK) and Lissy Gröner (Socialists, DE) will attend the press conference.

On this occasion, the AER –represented by Mr. Klaus Klipp- will announce two concrete initiatives:
- the launch of the first 'Observatory of migrant women', to be established by the AER
- a lobbying action towards the European Commission, in order to set up a single contact point to deal with the issues of ethnic minorities (at the moment these issues are dealt with by several DGs)

Media representatives are invited to attend the press conference, which is scheduled to take place on Wednesday 25th April, at 3.30 p.m. in the main press room of the European Parliament (Centre De Presse – LOW N-1/201).

The Assembly of European Regions-AER (www.a-e-r.org) is the political organisation of Regions in Europe and their spokesperson at European and international level. Its vocation is to defend the Regions' interests in the political process and to develop interregional cooperation. The AER brings together 250 Regions from 32 European Countries and 14 interregional organisations.

For further information please contact:

Sergio Nava, AER Spokesman, Mobile: +33 678 69 52 35, Landline +33 3 88 22 74 36, E-mail s.nava@a-e-r.org

Francine Huhardeaux, AER Press Officer, Mobile +33 678 695203, Landline +33 3 88 22 74 49, E-mail f.huhardeaux@a-e-r.org