In a written answer to a parliamentary question, Commissioner for Equality, Preparedness and Crisis Management Hadja Lahbib declined to launch any EU procedure against Italy over the exclusion of the Jewish LGBTQIA+ group Keshet Italia from Rome Pride 2026, arguing that the organisation of public events falls outside EU anti-discrimination law. The answer, given on behalf of the European Commission, stresses that while the EU is committed to equality and to combating antisemitism, the rules governing demonstrations are a national competence and the Racial Equality Directive does not cover such events.
The question was tabled by S&D MEP Pina Picierno, who asked whether the exclusion of Keshet Italia – initially from the organising committee and then from a parade float – after the group refused to sign a manifesto condemning what organisers called 'the Israeli State's ongoing genocide in Gaza' constitutes discrimination under Article 21 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights. Picierno also asked whether the Commission would consider a monitoring procedure against Italy under Article 2 TEU, and whether it would act to ensure that publicly funded events cannot exclude participants on grounds of ethnic or religious identity.
Lahbib's answer reiterates the Commission's general commitment to equality, citing the LGBTIQ+ Equality Strategy 2026-2030 and the EU Strategy on Combating Antisemitism and Fostering Jewish Life (2021-2030). However, she states that the Charter applies to Member States only when they are implementing EU law, and that outside that context it is for national authorities and courts to protect fundamental rights. She also notes that Council Directive 2000/43/EC covers discrimination on racial or ethnic origin in fields such as employment, education, and access to goods and services, but explicitly excludes the organisation of public events, which remains a national competence.
The answer contains no concrete proposals, numerical targets, or deadlines, and offers no indication that the Commission will take any follow-up action. It signals a clear policy orientation: the Commission views the matter as falling outside EU legal competence, despite its stated commitment to equality and antisemitism prevention. The response may disappoint civil society groups and Jewish and LGBTQIA+ organisations that had hoped for EU intervention, while national authorities in Italy retain full discretion over the organisation of public events. The Commission's position underscores the limits of EU anti-discrimination law in the face of national competences, a recurring tension in EU policy on fundamental rights.