Spain recognizes certain legislative autonomy in their Autonomous Communities for the execution of legislation but anti-discrimination legislation is an exclusive task of the central Government. However, some Autonomous Communities have strategies or plans for the equality of women and men that...

The Portuguese legal system is mainly a statutory law system, headed by the Portuguese Constitution and developed by state legislation. Where employment and industrial relations are concerned, collective agreements are also a key element of the system but they cannot go against mandatory legal...

Italy is a country made up of 20 regions, each with its own traditions and history. The main differences, in terms of working conditions, job opportunities and the quality of public services (education, healthcare and transport) are between the northern and southern regions. The family is at the...

Though theoretically a diverse society, the understanding of the principle of equality and non-discrimination in Romania is marked by three historical periods. Firstly, Romanian society had to come to terms with the Communist experience, defined by an imposed rhetoric of equality, de facto...

The Republic of Serbia is a constitutional, multi-party, parliamentary democracy. Its history is that of a federal unit within a federal state - the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY). After the dissolution of the SFRY in the 1990s, it was again structured as a federal state with...

Given the federal structure of Belgium, vocational orientation and training fall within the exclusive jurisdiction of the federate authorities, i.e. Communities and Regions, which is also true for various other matters such as education (including school staff) or public housing (within the...

The Principality of Liechtenstein is one of the smallest countries in Europe, with only 36 000 inhabitants. Political power is shared equally between the elected Parliament/the people and the monarch. The Parliament decides on new legislation, which can be amended by the electorate by means of...