WRITTEN QUESTION E-1389/00 by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Increased involvement of women in the decision-taking process.
Date: 2000-05-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: European social policy, decision-making, job access, position of women

C 53 E/136

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

20.2.2001

(2001/C 53 E/172)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1389/00

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 May 2000)

Subject: Increased involvement of women in the decision-taking process

Women are still very under-represented in decision-taking positions in both the private and public sectors:
in the Commission, for instance, women account for a mere 19 % of all category A officials, while in the
private sector, and notably the financial sector, the equivalent figure is just 8,2 %.

The reasons for this include the shortage or high cost of childcare facilities and the fact that women are
still very often confronted with the dual burden of job and family/household.

How does the Commission intend to persuade the Member States in their future national employment
programmes to take practical steps to remedy this situation and in particular to make available inexpensive
childcare services and to raise public awareness of the need for men and women to share household
chores evenly?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(16 June 2000)

The reconciliation of private and professional life has long been a priority in the Commission(cid:146)s gender
equality policy. The European social fund and, in particular, the Employment NOW Community initiative
(1994-1999) as well as the guidelines for the new EQUAL Community initiative (1) explicitly refer to the
necessity for child care in order to facilitate the reconciliation of family and work.

Council Decision 2000/228/EC of 13 March 2000 on guidelines for Member States(cid:146) employment policies
for the year 2000 (2) (cid:129) in particular guideline 21 (cid:129) calls on Member States to design, implement and
promote family friendly policies, including affordable, accessible and high quality care services for children
and other dependants, as well as parental and other leave schemes. The Commission continues to monitor
the implementation of this guideline in the national action plans and will (cid:129) should it discover inadequate
implementation (cid:129) make recommendations to the Member States to improve the situation.

Under Council Decision 95/593/EC of 22 December 1995 on a medium-term action programme on equal
opportunities for men and women (1996-2000) (3), the Commission supported projects aimed at encoura-
ging men to take on care responsibilities.

(1) COM(2000) 853.
(2) OJ L 72, 21.3.2000.
(3) OJ L 335, 30.12.1995.

(2001/C 53 E/173)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1390/00

by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission

(4 May 2000)

Subject: Long-term programmes concerning women

Most EU programmes (cid:129) such as the educational programmes Socrates, Leonardo da Vinci and the Youth
Programme (cid:129) are planned on a multiannual basis so as to ensure maximum continuity. However, this is
not the case with the two programmes concerning women, Daphne and STOP, and the financial resources
thus have to be negotiated afresh every year.