Resolution by the Committee of the Regions to member states with regard to 'Proposals for future COR appointments in terms of equal opportunities` (97/C 379/15)

The Committee of the Regions emphasizes the important role that it plays in the European Union by bridging the 'democratic deficit`, by bringing the EU closer to the citizen, and reflecting the needs and aspirations of local and regional communities in the European decision-making process. In order to perform this role more effectively, the membership of the Committee of the Regions should address equalities considerations.

The Committee of the Regions agrees with the preamble to the Council Recommendation on the balanced participation of women and men in decision making (96/694/EC) (), which stated:

'- the under-representation of women in decision-making posts contributes a loss for society as a whole and does not allow the interests and needs of the whole population to be catered for in full.

- balanced participation of men and women in the decision-making process is likely to give rise to different ideas, values and behaviour which will result in more justice and equality in the world for both men and women`.

The membership of the Committee of the Regions in gender terms is composed as follows:

>TABLE>

When looking at other European institutions, the position in the Committee of the Regions does not compare well. For example, 25 % of the College of Commissioners are women and in the European Parliament, 27,3 % of the members are women.

The Council of Ministers in its Resolution of 27 March 1995 on the balanced participation of women and men in decision-making stated that 'the objective of balanced participation of women and men and the sharing of responsibilities between women and men in decision-making in every sphere of life, constitutes an important condition for equality between women and men`. Whereas some Member States are closing the gap between representation of women and men in their national parliaments (e.g. Sweden 40,4 % in 1994 - Finland 33,5 % in 1995 - Denmark 33 % in 1995), the Committee of the Regions itself has some progress to make.

The Committee of the Regions notes the Council Recommendation on the balanced participation of women and men in decision-making (96/694/EC):

'calls on the institutions, subsidiary bodies and decentralized bodies of the European Communities to design a strategy for actively balanced participation by women and men in the decision-making process in each institution, subsidiary body and decentralized body of the European Communities.`

The Committee of the Regions through its Working Group on Equal Opportunities has already begun to progress equalities issues, but is aware of the role of the Council in the nomination procedure for membership of the Committee of the Regions. Whilst not wishing to interfere with the nomination procedure in individual Member States, the Committee of the Regions would nevertheless ask the Council to encourage and promote a more balanced participation of women in political life and to take steps towards reflecting a gender balance in its nominations to the Committee of the Regions.

The Committee of the Regions agrees that it is important to chart progress towards achieving a more balanced representation in its membership and will establish mechanisms for monitoring the next and subsequent rounds of appointments to the Committee of the Regions so that the position in future can be compared to the current position.

The Committee of the Regions also calls upon the national governments and local and regional government associations involved in the nomination procedure to take equal opportunities considerations into account when the new lists of COR members are proposed.

The Committee of the Regions recognizes that whilst the current focus has mainly been on gender balance, the new Treaty will widen the scope of EU competence in terms of equalities. When this is ratified it will be important for the Council to build on the good practice identified here in terms of gender and include in the nomination process considerations of ethnic minorities, disability, religion, sexual orientation and age.

Brussels, 18 September 1997.

The Chairman of the Committee of the Regions

Pasqual MARAGALL i MIRA

() OJ L 319, 10. 12. 1996, p. 11.