European Voice 24 October 2004

Lettori law must be overturned

On January 2004, while Rocco Buttiglione was Italian minister for Europe, his government adopted a decree law relating to the ongoing discrimination against foreign lecturers (lettori). On January 2004, accompanied by our lawyers, an ALLSI (Association of Foreign Lecturers in Italy) delegation was received by the Italian senate and we pointed out that far from ending the discrimination, the decree law would actually render it far worse, excluding us from teaching duties. On 4 February 2004, the Commission, having examined this decree, announced its decision to ask the European Court of Justice to impose a €309,750 per day fine on Italy for failure to fulfil its treaty requirements relating to non-discrimination based on nationality. Despite this, on 5 March 2004, the Italian parliament ratified a decree law, one of the six signatories to the law being Buttiglione. If he is confirmed as the new justice commissioner, we will seek his undertaking to vigorously support the Commission in its efforts to bring Italy to book.

David Petrie, Chair, ALLSI, Verona