WRITTEN QUESTION E-0743/01

by Giles Chichester (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(9 March 2001)

Subject: Budget Item A-3037

At present the European Women's Lobby receives all the funding from Item A-3037, a total of 600 000 for 2001. Can the Commission give a breakdown on how the money is spent and indicate what access other NGOs involved in women's rights have to similar funding?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(18 June 2001)

Following the decision of the Parliament, the amount under budget line A-3037 is dedicated to the European Women's Lobby (EWL) ( 600 000 in 2000, 650 000 in 2001). The Commission has no discretion on this. As decided by the Parliament, the Commission will pay 80 % of the real expenses up to the total amount under the budget line.

EWL's budget planning for 2000 (the deadline for handing in the final accounts for 2000 was 31 March 2001):

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Main activities carried out by the EWL in 2000:

- The preparations for the United Nations Special Session to review and assess progress made in implementing the Beijing platform for action (Beijing+5) were a major area of activity, as the EWL co-ordinated the production of the Regional Alternative Report for the Community.

- The EWL monitored the work of the Convention for the Union Charter of Fundamental Rights, issuing regular briefing papers.

- The Policy Action Centre on Violence against women focused its activities on the fight against trafficking in women and lobbying for better international legal protection.

- The EWL launched a campaign on Women Asylum Seekers, which will run throughout 2001 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the United Nations Geneva Convention on the Status of Refugees and the developments within the Union concerning asylum and refugee procedures.

- During the second half of 2000, the secretariat of the EWL launched a broad consultation process involving EWL's whole membership of 2700 women's organisations concerning the Social Policy Agenda. The EWL made a full analysis of the document and made a formal intervention during the Conference of Ministers on Gender Equality in Paris on 27 October 2000.

- The EWL followed very closely the policy developments linked to the modification of Council Directive 76/207/EEC of 9 February 1976 on the implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions(1). A joint letter and press release were drafted with the European Trade Union Confederation on the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace in June 2000.

- The EWL has been working in the field of women and globalisation (international trade) since June 2000, taking an active part in the civil society meetings organised by the Directorate General for Trade. Two position papers have been prepared.

- In September 2000, the EWL launched its new web-site(2). A wide range of documents, news and information on urgent action campaigns is now available, and there has been a significant increase in the use of the EWL web-site.

- The EWL is intensifying its working contacts and activities with women's organisations from the accession countries. Following unanimous agreement at the General Assembly in 2000, the EWL is in the process of developing a Policy Centre on Women and Enlargement.

- Funding possibilities for other non governmental organisations (NGOs): NGOs and other organisations can obtain funding for their activities under the new Programme relating to the Community framework strategy on gender equality (2001-2005)(3). This Programme shall co-ordinate, support and co-finance the implementation of horizontal activities under five fields of intervention: economic life, equal participation and representation, social rights, civil life, gender roles and stereotypes. The financial reference amount for the implementation of the Programme for the period 2001-2005 will be 50 million.

- Besides this gender equality targeted programme, there are numerous other funding possibilities, like the Structural Funds, EQUAL, Leonardo, Socrates, the Fifth framework programme for Research and Technological Development, Daphne and STOP, to name just a few.

(1) OJ L 39, 14.2.1976.

(2) http://www.womenlobby.org/.

(3) OJ L 17, 19.1.2001.