WRITTEN QUESTION E-1735/01 by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission. Equal participation by men and women in the decision-making process.
Date: 2001-06-14
Institutions: European Parliament, Provisional data
Subjects: Sicily, decision-making, gender equality, participation of women, report

14.2.2002

EN

Official Journal of the European Communities

C 40 E/91

Joint answer
to Written Questions E-1728/01 and E-1729/01
given by Mr Verheugen on behalf of the Commission

(25 July 2001)

The Commission would draw the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to the preface to its Opinion on the
application by the Republic of Cyprus for membership of the Union (1), where on pages 7 to 10
(paragraphs 6 to 12) the issues relating to the legality of the application are reviewed in detail.

The Commission intends to take the same approach as in previous years in relation to the north of Cyprus
when drawing up the Regular Report for 2001 and would draw the Honourable Member(cid:146)s attention to
page 17 (paragraph 1.3) of the Report for 2000 (2).

(1) COM(93) 313 final.
(2) COM(2000) 702 final.

(2002/C 40 E/093)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1735/01

by Cristiana Muscardini (UEN) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Equal participation by men and women in the decision-making process

In Sicily, some of the lists of candidates standing in the Regional Council elections to be held on 24 June
2001 do not include any female candidates. This contravenes the rule in force in Sicily, pursuant to which
at least one-third of the candidates on each list must be male and one-third female.

In view of the many statements which have been made on the subject of equal opportunities for men and
women as regards participation in power structures and the decision-making process (Council resolution of
27 March 1995 and European Parliament resolution of 2 March 2000), would the Commission answer the
following questions:

1.

Is the Commission aware of what is going on in Sicily?

2. Has the Commission already prepared a report on the relevant action taken, as requested by the

Council and the European Parliament?

3. What means at EU level can the Commission suggest as a way of countering infringements (even in
principle) of the rules on equal opportunities for both sexes, in whatever field such infringements
occur?

4. Has the Commission ever asked the Member States to establish a better balance between the sexes in

public and private decision-making bodies throughout the EU?

5. What does the Commission think of the possibility whereby individuals or associations would be able

to refer such infringements to the Court of Justice?

Answer given by Mrs Diamantopoulou on behalf of the Commission

(3. September 2001)

1.

The Commission is concerned to learn of the absence of female candidates in Sicily.

2.
The Commission has presented a Report to the Council, the Parliament and the Economic and Social
Committee on the implementation of Council Recommendation 96/694 of 2 December 1996 on the
balanced participation of women and men in the decision-making process (1).

The Report sets out examples of action and policies undertaken by the Member States to increase the
participation of women in decision-making at all levels. The Report also gives statistics on the position of
women in decision-making, at local, regional, national and Community level.

C 40 E/92

Official Journal of the European Communities

EN

14.2.2002

The conclusions of the Report were that the 1996 Council recommendation did not match expectations.
The persistent under-representation of women in all areas of decision-making marks a fundamental
democratic deficit, which requires further Community level action. However, no one strategy was singled
out for recommendation. Rather a comprehensive approach is necessary: long-term political commitment,
sound data, regular monitoring, appropriate structures and the commitment of financial resources.

In October 1999, the Finnish Presidency drew up a set of nine indicators for measuring the progress
3.
of women(cid:146)s participation in political decision-making, at national, regional and local
level and in key
administrations. On 27-28 November 2000 the Council took note of the Presidency(cid:146)s report and in its
agreed conclusions the Council encouraged the Member States to make statistics available on the proposed
indicators on an annual basis.

The promotion of women in decision-making in all fields of society has been a core objective of the
Community Action Programmes for equal opportunities for women and men since 1991.

Equal participation and representation of women and men is one of the core objectives of the strategy. The
actions envisaged by the Commission under the framework strategy on gender equality 2001-2005 focus
including activities in
on work to promote women in political, economic and social decision-making,
external relations and development co-operation.

In Recommendation 96/694, the Council recommends that Member States,

4.
(cid:145)adopt a
comprehensive, integrated strategy designed to promote balanced participation of women and men in the
decision-making process and develop or introduce the appropriate measures to achieve this, such as, where
necessary, legislative and/or regulatory measures and/or incentives(cid:146).

inter alia,

At present, gender balance in decision-making does not fall within the competence of the Court of
5.
Justice. Accordingly, there is no basis on which an individual might seek to have the issue arising in Sicily
brought before the Court.

(1) COM(2000) 120 final.

(2002/C 40 E/094)

WRITTEN QUESTION E-1736/01

by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the Commission

(14 June 2001)

Subject: Use of the Swiss financing system to encourage a switch from road to rail freight transport

1.
Can the Commission confirm that, partly on the basis of the agreements between Switzerland and
the European Union which the European Parliament approved on 14 December 2000, which increase the
scope for freight to be carried through Switzerland by road, a system is now in use in Switzerland whereby
the size of the toll levied on heavy goods vehicles (cid:129) the (cid:145)Leistungsabh(cid:228)ngige Schwerverkehrsabgabe(cid:146) (cid:129)
depends partly on the distance travelled, the weight of the load and the vehicle(cid:146)s emissions, and that the
revenue from the tolls is being used to finance the bulk of the cost of building freight railway lines and
tunnels for them through the Alps?

2.
Can the Commission confirm that the method described at 1 above could substantially influence the
way in which freight is transported between places outside the area through which it passes, and that in
principle the same system could also be used in areas where there are no natural barriers to transport, such
as mountain ranges or major watercourses?

3.
How could a similar system within the Member States of the European Union be promoted as a way
of combating the constant growth of road haulage and thus providing alternatives to the pressure to
sacrifice more and more open space by widening roads and building new ones?