A second important area is the reform of the Structural Funds. Mainstreaming of equal opportunities throughout Structural Fund support was written unambiguously into the Commission's proposals of last March. It is still there and, if anything, has been strengthened during the negotiations between Member States. The European Parliament has been very supportive. Until now, each of the funds has supported specific measures, directly targeting women, through improved access to training and education, access to credit for women entrepreneurs or providing for tele-working opportunities.
Gender mainstreaming in the new regulations offers a new, two-track approach.
It envisages the continuation of such specific actions, that have a very direct and positive impact on women's lives. But alongside this approach, the aim is to ensure that all policies and programmes are assessed for gender impact. This means that national plans will have to include an assessment of the equality issues at stake. That's not all. The Regulation promotes gender balance in decision-making by establishing that a balanced participation of women and men should be ensured in the Monitoring Committees.