Council Resolution of 20 May 1999 on women and science
Date: 1999-05-20
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: EU programme, applied research, gender equality, participation of women, research and development

16.7.1999

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 201/1

I

(Information)

COUNCIL

COUNCIL RESOLUTION

of 20 May 1999

on women and science

(1999/C 201/01)

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

Whereas:

(1) The promotion of equality between men and women is
enshrined in Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty establishing
the European Community, as one of
the Community’s
objectives;

(2) The Council has reaffirmed this principle in the context of
various Community policies, and in particular
in its
Recommendation of 2 December 1996 on the balanced
participation of women and men in the decision-making
process (1);

plan for equal opportunities in the Commission (1997 to
2000) which applies to the scientific personnel of the Joint
Research Centre (JRC);

(7) The Scientific and Technical Research Committee (CREST)
was consulted and issued an opinion on this matter;

the Commission’s

the
WELCOMES
initiatives set out therein for promoting the involvement of
women in RTD,

communication

and

RECOGNISES that:

(3) The European Parliament

in its Resolution of 9 March
1999 on the integration of equal opportunities in the
Community policies has
reiterated the importance it
attaches to this matter;

(a) the question of under-representation of women in the field
of scientific and technical research is a common concern
for Member States and the Community and needs to be
addressed, whilst noting that the problem of under-repre-
sentation is not confined to the research sector alone;

(4) The Community equal opportunities policy is taken into
account in the Fifth RTD Framework Programme (1998
to 2002) adopted by Decision No 182/1999/EC of
the
European Parliament and of the Council (2);

(5) The Commission presented, on 19 February 1999, a
Communication on the subject (cid:145)Women and science: mobi-
lising women to enrich European research(cid:146)
in which it
proposes a series of measures to be taken so as to
stimulate discussion and the sharing of experience in this
field among Member States and to develop a coherent
approach towards promoting women in research financed
by the Community;

(6) An equal opportunities policy is also pursued by the
through the third action

Commission for its personnel

(1) OJ L 319, 10.12.1996, p. 11.
(2) OJ L 26, 1.2.1999, p. 1.

(b) this issue can best be addressed through effective and
sustained action at all
regional, national and
levels:
Community level. In this context, account also needs to
be taken of social and economic factors as well as of the
critical role of education and training in fostering the
effective participation of women;

(c) the gender mainstreaming of research policy is not limited
to promotion of women as research workers but should
also ensure that research meets the needs of all citizens
and contributes to the understanding of gender-relevant
issues;

(d) the

two objectives
i.e.

announced in the Commission’s
to stimulate discussion and the
communication,
sharing of experience in this field among Member States
and to promote the involvement of women in Community
research, on the basis of a coherent approach to be pursued
in the implementation of the Fifth Framework Programme
are most appropriate for action at Community level;

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Official Journal of the European Communities

16.7.1999

is a valid objective;

(e) the establishement of a specific target as regards partici-
pation of women in panels, consultative Committees and
fellowships
the
Commission has set
itself a target of 40 % as regards
such participation in the Fifth Framework Programme,
while meeting the general cirteria of the Fifth Framework
Programme,
technological
excellence;

takes note that

including

scientific

and

(f) more comprehensive indicators and statistical data on the
participation of women in scientific research, which could
be included,
in the European report on S&T
indicators, will
facilitate the development of appropriate
policies at national and Community levels;

inter alia,

INVITES MEMBER STATES to:

(a) make available existing information on the gender balance
of R&D personnel; and establish methods and procedures
to collect and produce appropriate data and indicators in
the medium-term (in particular data showing the vertical
and horizontal distribution of women within the scientific
the levels of government, higher
research system at
education and, as far as possible, the private sector) to
measure the participation of women in the development
of science and technology in Europe;

(b) actively

engage

in the

the
Commission in its communication by exchanging views
on policies pursued at the national level so as to be able
to analyse the situation and make a joint assessment of

dialogue proposed

by

on-going policies, taking into account benchmarking and
best practice in Member States. Research institutes, higher
education organisations and private enterprises should be
involved in this process;

(c) pursue the objective of gender equality in science by appro-
priate means, including through other national policies (e.g.
through national employment action plans, where relevant);

INVITES THE COMMISSION to:

(a) produce,

building on Member

contributions,
comparable data and European indicators, as a basis for a
Community-wide assessment of the situation of women in
RTD;

States’

(b) pursue its efforts to encourage the increased participation
of women throughout the Fifth Framework Programme, in
accordance with all
the principles and implementation
criteria;

(c) propse, in the light of the abovementioned dialogue with
the Member States, guidelines for further initiatives to
promote women in RTD;

(d) deliver a special report to the European Parliament and the
in implementing the measures
Council on progress
proposed in its Communication, after two years at
the
latest, with a view, inter alia, to contributing to the prep-
aration of
and
programmes.

future Community

research policies