Monica Maria Iacob-Ridzi (PPE-DE). – (RO) Dear colleagues, as we are discussing a matter related not only to the issue of equal opportunities, but also to the development of rural areas in general, I will refer to the measures that are applicable at Community level in this field.

The programmes and the funds of the 2nd pillar of rural development have, in terms of percentages, more significant resources than the special programmes of the European Union for equal opportunities. If we succeeded in facilitating the access of women to programmes such as LEADER, dedicated to rural development, we would have much more to gain than if we used only the resources within the EQUAL, PROGRESS or DAPHNE programmes.

In the European Union budget, the funds for rural development are as high as 11%, whilst the entire sector of citizenship, which includes the programmes for equal opportunities, does not even reach 1%.

This is the great challenge for the European Union in this case: succeeding in communicating, mobilising and facilitating the link between European funds and the various projects which could be initiated in rural areas by women.