Many legal systems do not have a general equality principle; instead, they have a non-discrimination principle based on pre-selected categories. Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, for example, states that 'any discrimination based on grounds such as sex, race, colour, ethnic or social origin, genetic features, language, religion or belief, political or any other opinion, membership of a national minority, property, birth, disability, age, or sexual orientation shall be prohibited'. However, some legal systems, such as that of the EU, include a general equality provision. Article 20 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights states: "Everyone is equal before the law." Legal systems that include such a provision often struggle to define its exact meaning. Such provisions often play only a marginal role in the legal systems to which they belong. Contrary to what one might think, this lecture will demonstrate the pivotal role of Article 20 in shaping European society. In particular, it will show how Article 20 facilitates the integration of third-country nationals into European society.
