The European Union (EU) this week came out against three state laws that target the LGBT community, saying that each violates a human rights treaty and should be repealed.

“The recently adopted laws including in the states of Mississippi, North Carolina and Tennessee, which discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex persons in the United States contravene the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which the US is a State party, and which states that the law shall prohibit any discrimination and guarantee to all persons equal and effective protection,” the EU said in a statement.

“As a consequence, cultural, traditional or religious values cannot be invoked to justify any form of discrimination, including discrimination against LGBTI persons. These laws should be reconsidered as soon as possible.”

“The European Union reaffirms its commitment to the equality and dignity of all human beings irrespective of their sexual orientation and gender identity. We will continue to work to end all forms of discrimination and to counter attempts to embed or enhance discrimination wherever it occurs around the world,” the international body said.

North Carolina's House Bill 2 blocks cities from enacting LGBT protections and prohibits transgender people from using the bathroom of their choice in government buildings, including schools. Mississippi's law allows some businesses to deny services to LGBT people based on their “sincerely held religious beliefs or moral convictions,” while Tennessee's law allows mental health therapists and counselors to turn away LGBT clients.