BRUSSELS- The head of foreign lecturers at Italian universities, David Petrie, Tuesday challenged the European Parliament Petitions Committee on Italy’s unilateral refusal to uphold its Treaty obligations to end decades of discrimination against the academics.

“Does the Committee see circumstances in which a member state may be justified in suspending by Decree law, its obligation to uphold the EU Treaty - and in particular Articles 47 and 21(2) of the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights?” Prof. Petrie, head of the foreign lecturers' association ALLSI, asked.