On 29 January 2015, the Parliamentary Assembly adopted Resolution 2036 (2015) on “Tackling intolerance and discrimination in Europe with a special focus on Christians.” The resolution called upon the member States of the Council of Europe to “promote reasonable accommodation within the principle of indirect discrimination so as to ensure that the right of all individuals under their jurisdiction to freedom of religion and belief is respected, without impairing for anyone the other rights also guaranteed by the European Convention on Human Rights.”
Three years after its adoption, it is crucial to consider what steps have been taken by member States to implement the recommendations made in Resolution 2036 (2015), whether by introducing policies that would allow for an informal mechanism of reasonable accommodation or laws that would provide a formal mechanism of reasonable accommodation of religion or belief in the workplace. The Assembly should therefore review the progress that has been made, with a view to identifying good practice amongst Council of Europe member States on how best to provide reasonable accommodation in relation to religious belief.