Yes / : This article is based on a large-scale European Commission project on international perspectives on positive action measures. The paper presents an analysis of the perceptions of positive action held by respondents from all the countries participating in an international survey, focussing specifically upon differences across equality grounds, sector and organisation type. This paper will also provide examples of positive action being applied in European and non-European countries that participated in the study. The study adopted extensive literate and online survey to obtain data from designers of positive action. Findings are discussed, conclusions drawn and wide-ranging recommendations are made at the European Commission, individual countries and organisational levels.

Yes / Around the world, inequalities exist around boundaries of race, social class, gender, disability, religious beliefs and sexual orientation, often resulting from past and current discriminatory practices. Governments have taken certain measures, including enacting policies such as positive action, to remedy such discrimination. This paper provides a comparative analysis of perceptions of the impact of positive action in seven EU and three non-EU countries. The study adopted participatory methods including consensus workshops, interviews and policy analysis to obtain data from designers of positive action. Findings are discussed, conclusions drawn and wide-ranging recommendations are made at the EC, individual countries and organisational levels.

No / Positive action is a highly contested concept and its meaning varies across states. Law plays a key role in shaping the boundaries of positive action. This paper presents the findings of a comparative study of law and positive action both inside and outside the European Union. It sets out the approach to positive action within European Community (EC) law and, based on that, constructs a legal definition of positive action. It then turns to consider practice at domestic level and uncovers a broad diversity of approaches. The non-EU comparator countries (USA, Canada and South Africa) have been more willing to impose obligations on public and private bodies to engage in positive action than have been the EU Member States considered in this study. Notwithstanding the constraints deriving from EC legislation on positive action measures, there is some evidence of a trend towards duties to take positive action emerging within the EU Member States.