National Council for Combating Discrimination

The National Council for Combating Discrimination (, or CNCD) is an agency of the Romanian government, established in 2001 and responsible for applying Romanian and European Union anti-discrimination laws and managing the National Anti-Discrimination Plan. The legal status of the CNCD was established by the anti-discrimination law of 2000 (Law 137/2000) and subsequently amended in 2006. According to the law, the Council reports to the parliament and is politically independent. It has often ruled against government institutions at various levels (particularly local councils).

The CNCD is based in Bucharest, its offices being located in Valter Mărăcineanu Square. It is headed by Csaba Asztalos (himself an ethnic Hungarian) and employs 49 other members of staff.

Anti-discrimination rulings

An individual or other legal entity can bring forward a case of discrimination to the CNCD within one year of the case or event occurring. The CNCD is obliged, within 90 days, to investigate the case and rule on whether anti-discrimination laws were breached. The anti-discrimination law covers discrimination based on: race, nationality, ethnicity, language, religion, social category, beliefs, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, HIV/AIDS status, and any other criteria which restrict human rights, equalities and fundamental...
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