The European Commission has published its first ever report into discrimination against transgender and intersex people.

Politicians have welcomed the report which is an analysis of the current EU legal order in relation to trans and intersex people.

Michael Cashman MEP, co-president of the LGBT Intergroup, said: “It’s as thorough an analysis one could hope for and a very powerful contribution both legally and politically.

'Trans and intersex persons’ fundamental rights are the same as everyone else’s and they deserve to be free from discrimination.'

Ulrike Lunacek MEP, the other co-president of the LGBT Intergroup, said the report was needed to further the rights of trans and intersex people. 

'This is an area in which the EU should be a world leader,' she said.

'I look forward to the proposals the European Commission will make on the basis of this study.'

Discrimination against trans and intersex people on the grounds of sex, gender identity and gender expression' report was commissioned through the European Network of Legal Experts in the non-discrimination field and authored by two experts from gay rights group ILGA-Europe and the University of Leiden.