Equality cannot remain a political promise: it must be implemented, enforced and felt in people’s everyday lives. This was the central message delivered at the public hearing “Union of Equality: LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026–2030”, hosted by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), bringing together EU institutions, civil society and stakeholders to discuss the opportunities and challenges of implementing the EU’s newly adopted strategy.
Speaking at the hearing, Susanne Wahlström, Mayor of Habo Municipality (Sweden) and rapporteur of the European Committee of the Regions (CoR) on LGBTIQ+ equality, underlined the essential role of local and regional authorities in promoting inclusion, protecting fundamental rights and ensuring non-discrimination across Europe’s communities. “We can’t leave equality to politicians or corporations alone. This strategy only works if all of us — institutions, member states, civil society, and individuals — act as one team.”
Wahlström stressed that the success of the LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy depends on moving beyond declarations to practical delivery, warning that progress will stall without stronger implementation tools: “If the LGBTQI+ Equality Strategy is to succeed, it must move beyond political commitments to real implementation and enforcement.” She highlighted the recurring challenge facing EU equality frameworks: not the lack of strategies, but uneven delivery and enforcement across Member States. “We all know the problem isn’t the lack of strategies — it’s the implementation gaps and uneven enforcement across Member States.”
The rapporteur also underlined the importance of robust monitoring systems and evidence-based policymaking, including the need for reliable data.“Reliable, comparable data is essential. Without it, we cannot identify gaps, measure progress, or hold anyone accountable.” Wahlström further emphasised the strategic role of civil society and grassroots organisations in documenting discrimination, supporting victims and keeping equality visible where institutions may fall short: “We should never underestimate civil society and grassroots organisations — they document discrimination, support victims, and make equality visible where institutions often fail.” She added that sustainable support for civil society is not optional, but a prerequisite for delivery: “Funding civil society is not charity — it is a strategic enabler for justice, accountability, and evidence-based policy.”
Turning to enforcement, she called for stronger EU-wide tools to protect victims and improve comparability between Member States, including a common definition of hate crime: “A clear EU definition of hate crime, backed by official statistics, would be a powerful tool to protect victims and improve enforcement.” Wahlström also addressed the role of employers and public administrations, stressing that inclusion requires accountability and proactive action, not only compliance: “Avoiding discrimination is not enough. Employers and public administrations must be accountable for actively creating inclusive environments.”
Finally, she linked equality and inclusion to Europe’s future resilience and competitiveness, rejecting the false opposition between diversity and innovation: “Diversity and inclusion don’t weaken competitiveness — they drive innovation, creativity, and stronger problem-solving. Equality, openness, and innovation are not separate goals — together, they define the future strength of the European Union.”
General information
The public hearing “Union of Equality: LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026–2030” was organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) to examine the newly adopted EU strategy and gather input from a broad range of stakeholders. Discussions focused on mainstreaming LGBTIQ+ equality across EU policy, strengthening monitoring and evaluation frameworks, improving Member State engagement, and bridging gaps between EU-level commitments and national implementation.
The CoR rapporteur’s forthcoming opinion will focus on how local and regional authorities can contribute to implementation of the strategy, including through inclusive public services, anti-discrimination measures, community-level prevention of hate crime and hate speech, and support to civil society initiatives.