Anna Hedh (PSE). – (SV) Mr President and all ladies and gentlemen who are still awake, equality between women and men is one of the EU’s basic principles, and bringing it about is one of the EU’s central tasks. The EU should try to bring about equality in all its activities. In spite of the fact that a lot of progress has been made in the area of equality, many surveys show, however, that such progress is very slow. The EU does not, for example, have the ability to put together analyses and to come up with constructive solutions when it comes to the integration of equality and the promotion of equality between the sexes. By now creating a European Institute for Gender Equality, the EU and the Member States are signalling the high priority they are giving to this issue, as well as the political will to do more to overcome the prevailing lack of equality.

Today, I feel very proud, as an MEP from the Socialist Group in the European Parliament, that EU cooperation is being used to advance the fight against gender discrimination. It is now important for all the Member States to make use of the Institute and to submit statistics and information to it. It is a huge responsibility for the Member States. In conclusion, I want to say how pleased I am that it is a new Member State, Lithuania, and the city of Vilnius, in which this Institute is to be located. I do not believe that the proximity principle has any role to play in this case, because all the EU Member States are central. I want to wish them the best of luck and to thank the rapporteurs, Mrs Gröner and Mrs Sartori, together with the Commission.