Discrimination based on more than one prohibited ground as a challenge for the European Union and its Member States

This article aims to show the specific nature of discrimina­tion based on more than one prohibited ground and the problems that arise in combating this phenomenon, us­ing the example of the European Union (EU). Research in this area is based on the hypothesis that it constitutes a specific form of unequal treatment in many respects and that it still poses a significant challenge for EU law and practice, despite some changes made in this area, particu­larly in legal regulations on gender equality. Furthermore, the approach of the Court of Justice of the European Un­ion (ECJ) towards this type of discrimination is puzzling. It typically contributes to raising standards of protection against unequal treatment. However, in this case, it does not, usually considering the criteria for discrimination sep­arately. As a result, the article first presents the challenges associated with defining and applying the concept in prac­tice. Then, it discusses and compares the regulations of EU secondary law that address discrimination based on more than one prohibited ground. The next section analy­ses the cases before the Court of Justice in which this form of discrimination has been invoked. The final remarks fo­cus on the most crucial challenges still faced by both the EU and its Member States, which are required to imple­ment the provisions of the relevant directives, including the directive on pay transparency (2023/970).

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