WRITTEN QUESTION E-1390/00 by Michl Ebner (PPE-DE) to the Commission. Long-term programmes concerning women.
Date: 2000-05-04
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: EU programme, position of women, sexual violence, violence

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.

20.2.2001

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 53 E/137

Does the Commission agree that it would make more sense to adopt a multiannual overall budget for
these programmes too so as to promote continuity and concerted measures rather than just short-term
actions?

Answer given by Mr Vitorino on behalf of the Commission

(14 June 2000)

The new Daphne programme (2000-2003) is a multiannual programme, according to decision No 293/
2000/EC of the Parliament and of the Council of 24 January 2000 adopting a programme of Community
action (the Daphne programme) (2000 to 2003) on preventive measures to fight violence against children,
young persons and women (1). As a consequence, the Daphne programme allows the setting up of
multiannual projects (1, 2 or 3 year projects).

As regards the STOP programme, it is now in its last financial year. The Commission intends to propose a
renewal of the programme, including a mechanism allowing for multiannual projects.

(1) OJ L 34, 9.2.2000.

(2001/C 53 E/174)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1402/00

by Jeffrey Titford (EDD) to the Commission

(5 May 2000)

Subject: European Commission and European Central Bank

Will the Commission please indicate what meetings have taken place at senior level between staff of the
European Commission and the European Central Bank, that information to include:

(a)

the dates of those meetings;

(b)

the venues of those meetings;

(c)

the identities of those attending the meetings;

(together with a summary of the issues discussed on each occasion).

Can the Commission also indicate if the European Central Bank is entirely independent of the Commission,
or whether the European Central Bank can in any shape or form be said to be influenced by the
Commission?

Answer given by Mr Solbes Mira on behalf of the Commission

(23 June 2000)

The Commission entertains numerous contacts at staff level with the staff of the European Central Bank
(ECB) on the phone, in writing and at meetings. These contacts are a natural consequence of the respective
tasks of the two institutions and serve to strengthen the efficiency of their work.

One type of contact is the participation of Commission representatives in certain ECB sub-committees or
working groups, where staff from the ECB and the national central banks prepare decisions or positions of
the decision-making bodies of the ECB. The Commission is usually invited to the banking supervisory sub-
committee, the working group on payments systems, and the working group on statistics.

the Commission invites staff members of

the ECB to certain meetings organized by the
In turn,
Commission, where ECB representation is desirable, like the banking advisory committee or the meetings
on macro-economic forecasts. Besides this, staff members frequently organize ad hoc meetings on subjects
of common interest. An example is a meeting held on 6 April 2000 in Brussels on the preparation of
legislation against counterfeiting of euro banknotes, chaired by the Director general for Economic and
financial affairs.