WRITTEN QUESTION P-1368/00

by Elisabeth Schroedter (Verts/ALE) to the Commission

(19 April 2000)

Subject: Proper recognition of the European goal of equal opportunities for men and women in German Objective 1 programming

1. Is it true to say that the regional plan for the German Objective 1 area (the five new Länder and East Berlin) fails to contribute to mldr the elimination of inequalities, and the promotion of equality between men and women (Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999), as the Structural Funds are intended to do, or at any rate fails to take that goal properly into account?

2. (a) If the above assertion is correct, what specific criticism does the Commission have to make, and what steps has it taken to ensure compliance with the aim set out in Article 1 of the Structural Fund Regulation? Has the Commission called for the imperfections to be rectified, and has Germany produced the means required to do so?

(b) What practical improvements will be made to eliminate inequalities between men and women and promote equal treatment? Will all of the Funds be used to finance them, and have clear-cut indicators been devised to measure the degree of success?

(c) Has Germany observed the requirements of the guidelines applying to the Structural Fund Regulation, which, as far as measures to aid women are concerned, stipulate that the EU-funded support to be granted to women should be in proportion to the female unemployment rate?

3. Will the Commission approve the German regional plan even if it is not certain to achieve the goal of eliminating inequalities and promoting equality between men and women, as laid down in Article 1?

Answer given by Mr Barnier on behalf of the Commission

(9 June 2000)

1. The regional development plan (RDP) submitted by the German government on 5 November 1999 concerning the support of the structural funds for the objective 1 area envisages a sizeable contribution to promote equality between men and women. It is therefore not the case that the plan misses the objective of Removing the unequal treatment of men and women and the support of their equal treatment. The Deutsche Frauenrat is included as a partner in the monitoring committee.

2. However, in view of the difficult position of women especially on the labour market in the former East Germany the Commission felt that the proposals made in the RDP were not fully adequate and insisted therefore during the negotiations with the German authorities on improvements in the field of European social fund (ESF) assistance.

The German authorities agreed in particular to raise assistance for the ESF policy area E specific measures to improve women's access to and participation in the labour market from 8 % of the ESF allocation in the RDP to 10 % in the draft Community support framework (CSF). Furthermore it was agreed that in the other ESF policy fields support for women should be higher than their share in unemployment. Indicators to monitor progress are foreseen.

Thus the result of the negotiations was to exceed the target set in the Commission communication on the structural funds guidelines for the 2000-2006 programming period(1), i.e. to ensure that active labour market policies are made available for women in proportion to their share in unemployment. The target set in the draft CSF for the ESF policy area E is now fully in line with the German national employment action plan (NAP) 2000 which states that in the whole of Germany 10 % of the financial resources of the ESF should be earmarked for such specific measures in the 2000-2006 period.

3. The draft CSF states that actions and measures co-financed by the structural funds and the Financial instrument for fisheries guidance shall be in accordance with Community policies and legal regulations on equal opportunities for men and women, and contribute to achieving these. The ESF is the most important instrument to be used, but in the case of the European regional development fund and European agricultural guidance and guarantee fund support for women is also a priority in relevant measures.

In view of what has been said above the Commission is convinced that the implementation of the aims laid down in Article 1 of Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June 1999 laying down general provisions on the structural funds(2) is ensured.

(1) COM(1999) 344 final.

(2) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999.