WRITTEN QUESTION E-3132/00 by María Valenciano Martínez-Orozco (PSE) and Anna Terrón i Cusí (PSE) to the Commission. ESF funding for women-only training courses in female-dominated sectors.
Date: 2000-10-06
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Catalonia, European Social Fund, eligibility criteria, equal treatment, female work, vocational training

C 151 E/74

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

22.5.2001

(2001/C 151 E/085)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3132/00

by Mar(cid:237)a Valenciano Mart(cid:237)nez-Orozco (PSE)
and Anna Terr(cid:243)n i Cus(cid:237) (PSE) to the Commission

(6 October 2000)

Subject: ESF funding for women-only training courses in female-dominated sectors

The Fundaci(cid:243) Educaci(cid:243) Treball
i Societat, the Centre Europeu de Formaci(cid:243), and CEAC (privately run
Catalan training centres) are placing advertisements in the Catalan Press for various vocational training
courses for the unemployed, which are being jointly subsidised by the European Social Fund and the
Generalitat (autonomous government) of Catalonia (specifically by the Directorate-General for Employ-
ment, a division of the Department of Labour). The subsidies are explicitly mentioned in the advertise-
ments, which also carry the logos of the Generalitat and the ESF. Among the courses which they are
offering, each of the centres includes a women-only course, precisely in sectors in which women are
traditionally over-represented ((cid:145)dressmaking(cid:146), (cid:145)telesales and telemarketing(cid:146), and (cid:145)childcare specialists(cid:146) respec-
tively).

As stipulated in Articles 2(e) and 3(a) of Regulation (EC) No 1784/1999 of the European Parliament and of
the Council of 12 July 1999 on the European Social Fund (1), the Fund must be used to support and
complement specific measures by the Member States aimed at improving the opportunities for women to
enter and take part in the labour market and to reduce the prevailing vertical and horizontal segregation
on the basis of sex. The activities eligible for assistance include education, vocational training, rehabilita-
tion in employment, guidance, counselling, and continuing training.

Furthermore, entry into force of the Treaty of Amsterdam, Article 141(4) of the EC Treaty, and the aim of
guaranteeing full equality between men and women in working life all imply that a Member State should
not be prevented from continuing to enforce or adopting measures providing for specific advantages to
enable members of an underrepresented sex to carry on an occupation or to avert or offset disadvantages
as regards professional careers.

Does the Commission not believe that ESF funding for the above courses is doing the opposite of ending
the traditional horizontal segregation of work and is thus contrary to the EC Treaty, Directive 76/207/
EEC (2), and the regulations governing the Structural Funds?

Bearing in mind the general provisions on the Funds (Council Regulation (EC) No 1260/1999 of 21 June
1999 (3)), what forms of monitoring, supervision, assessment, and penalties will it bring to bear to prevent
funding being granted for courses that infringe the rules and aims set out in the legislation referred to
above?

(1) OJ L 213, 13.8.1999, p. 5.
(2) OJ L 39, 14.2.1976, p. 40.
(3) OJ L 161, 26.6.1999, p. 1.

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(24 November 2000)

In accordance with Regulation (EC) No 1784/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council of
12 July 1999 on the European Social Fund (ESF) (1), measures part-financed by the ESF must promote
equal opportunities for women and men, as stated by the Honourable Members. This implies a wide range
of measures designed, on the one hand, to achieve a general improvement in women(cid:146)s employability and,
on the other hand, to reduce vertical and horizontal segregation on the labour market. There are two
aspects to the Commission(cid:146)s approach to promoting equal opportunities. The first is to incorporate the
principle of equal opportunities into all Community policies and measures (mainstreaming). The second is
to promote specific measures, which must be consistent with the strategy set out in the programme, taking
account of the specific needs of the labour market in the geographical area concerned.

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Official Journal of the European Communities

C 151 E/75

ESF measures are therefore not limited to the sectors in which women are under-represented, but also
serve the general improvement of women(cid:146)s employability in order to consolidate their presence on the
labour market.

Under the new ESF programme for 2000-2006, the Commission has reinforced the dimension of equal
opportunities for women and men, in terms of the planning, monitoring and evaluation of measures. The
Community Support Framework (CSF)
for Objective 3 for Spain, and in particular the operational
programme (OP) for Catalonia, make provision for the horizontal integration of equal opportunities, as
well as specific measures for women.

For the first time, the Objective 3 CSF and OP monitoring committees include representatives from
organisations responsible for equal opportunities, which should serve the effective application of the
principle of equal opportunities in the ESF. There is a commitment in the OPs to observe the principle of
equal opportunities, and this principle will also be the subject of thematic evaluations.

In any event, it is the responsibility of the Member State to implement the programme, which must meet
the statutory requirements and comply with the principle of equal treatment set out in 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 (2).
Measures which do not meet these requirements or comply with the principle of equal treatment cannot
be regarded as eligible.

(1) OJ L 213, 13.8.1999.
(2) OJ L 39, 14.2.1976.

(2001/C 151 E/086)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-3134/00

by Rosa MiguØlez Ramos (PSE) to the Commission

(6 October 2000)

Subject: Rules for single-hull oil tankers

Within the framework of the legislative package on maritime safety, the Commission has submitted a
proposal for the rapid introduction of rules for oil tankers which need to be converted from being single-
hulled to a double hull or equivalent design.

In the section on the impact of the proposal on companies, particular SMEs, the Commission says that it
expects this to benefit employment, by increasing demand in shipyards. However, it notes the aggressive
competition represented by Far Eastern shipyards, which might well receive the bulk of orders placed as a
result of the proposal.

Could the Commission give specific figures as to how many contracts are envisaged, and how many jobs
this represents? Can it provide a breakdown showing how many of these jobs would be in European
shipyards?

With regard to the capacity of the Asian shipyards, can the Commission state whether they meet the
minimum requisite standards for social and labour conditions, non-pollutant processes and technological
capacity?

If the major advantage of the Asian shipyards with regard to contracts of this kind is based on social,
environmental and technological dumping, what measures does the Commission intend to take to ensure
fair competition and equal opportunities for European shipyards?