Verbatim report of proceedings

Tuesday, 14 March 2006 - Strasbourg

7. European Institute for Gender Equality (debate)

  President. – The next item is the report by Mrs Lissy Gröner and Mrs Amalia Sartori, on behalf of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality, on the establishment of a European Institute for Gender Equality (COM(2005)0081-C6-0083/2005-2005/0017(COD)) (A6-0043/2006).

  Vladimír Špidla , Member of the Commission. (CS) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, the establishment of a European Institute for Gender Equality answers a fundamental demand to provide a new instrument for the European policy of gender equality, enabling further progress to be made. I am sure you will agree with me that gender equality is an economic just as much as a political goal, as well as being a fundamental building block of our democratic society. It constitutes a defining principle of Europe’s economic, social and political life. The full participation of women, with completely equal opportunities and full participation in the workplace has become a key element of the European economy within a Union that has to cope with an aging population and demographic loss. The Commission’s reports for the years 2005 and 2006 on gender equality show, however, that progress has been slow in this area. There are still major obstacles in the way of this social aim.

Ladies and gentlemen, if we fail to exploit the potential offered by women, we will not achieve the Lisbon objectives, and moreover we will be unable to compete on a global level. Gender equality, besides its underlying political aspects, constitutes a key competitive factor for us in the fierce arena of global competition. In the interests of eliminating all remaining inequality between men and women, it is now a priority of the first order to redouble efforts at Union and Member State levels, paying regard particularly to the increased heterogeneity of the enlarged Union. For these reasons, the creation of an instrument operating at a European level has since 1999 been viewed as essential. The European Council, in June 2004, therefore called on the Commission to submit a proposal. The Commission submitted the proposal to set up an institution which would be a technical instrument assisting European bodies and especially the Commission in developing policies and in guiding Member States on their implementation. The priority task will be to gather, analyse and distribute objective, reliable and comparable data within a Community setting. The institute will also develop appropriate methodological resources, aimed especially at incorporating a gender perspective into Community policies. Eventually, it will also contribute to the greater visibility of Community policy, which is particularly important at the present time and which is in principle also a building block of the democratic political process, as it is imperative that issues are there for all to see. Where an issue is not in view, or has been concealed, it is very difficult to mobilise public opinion and to achieve majority consent.

Our proposal is the outcome of numerous analyses and it takes account of the results of two studies into operability, as well as the countless discussions that have taken place. One of the studies was carried out by the Commission and the other by the European Parliament, which has backed the establishment of the institute since 2002. The proposal takes account of budgetary restrictions and does not represent new expenditure against the European budget.

Ladies and gentlemen, the Commission wants this institution to become a centre of excellence. At present, no such centre exists on a European level. There are some excellent university or other such bodies, but no centre of this type. It is therefore necessary for us to respond, and the Commission has therefore decided to meet the pressing demand of all subjects.

  Lissy Gröner (PSE), rapporteur. – (DE) Mr President, Commissioner, this House has, for a long time, been calling for an Equality Institute; not only do we raise this demand every year on International Women’s Day, but we also want to see real improvements in the quality of equality policy, and that is why we endorse the Commission’s proposal.

The Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, with the object of guaranteeing broad support, entrusted the work on the report to the two major groups, in the persons of Mrs Sartori and myself. We agreed on compromises and jointly tabled a series of amendments generally aimed at slimming down the administration and ensuring the primacy of policy-making. We want to avoid duplication and prevent overlaps with other agencies. We want to ensure that all the expertise on equality issues that is to be found in the national institutes – the gender experts, the universities, the non-governmental organisations – can be drawn together into one network. We have proposed additions to the Commission proposal with the intention of involving civil society in an advisory role.

The Gender Institute will have a very important role to play in ensuring that we, as political decision-makers, can speedily draw on the results of gender research and thereby improve the lawmaking process. It is intended that the Institute should be a centre of excellence, and independent, although it will, of course, follow the guidelines set by the European Union and by our policies. It will be a milestone, and will have an effect far beyond the borders of the European Union, but there is a risk that people will say – as some Members of this House are already doing – that we do not want an institute specifically for gender issues, but that it should, instead, be combined with the Human Rights Agency.

The great danger of that, I think, would be that it would no longer be ensured that the European Union’s programmes were visible to the public. As with the equality programme, what is needed is an instrument with an outward effect. I do not believe that PROGRESS has enabled us to ensure visibility, and we must have the certainty that the Equality Institute will do that. What is needed is a small, high-class institute that works to powerful effect.

Saying ‘no’ to it today would be a major setback to the European Union’s equality policy, and a major setback too to the equality roadmap that was so convincingly presented last week. It was Mr Barroso, the President of the Commission, who set out the timetable last week. Let us, by saying ‘yes’ to the Sartori/Gröner report today, ensure that the timetable can be kept to and that there are no delays.

  Amalia Sartori (PPE-DE), rapporteur. – (IT) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to add my voice to that of my fellow Member, Mrs Gröner, in support of a vote on this Commission proposal that meets a need felt in all the countries of Europe, and not just by women.

In reality, as has already been explained by both the Commissioner and Mrs Gröner, this issue has been under debate for a long time: the idea of setting up a gender institute goes back to more than ten years ago, at the suggestion of the then Swedish minister for equal opportunities. The work continued for five years, and debate was thorough; in 2000 the European Council of Nice acknowledged the need for a tool to promote the exchange of experience and for sharing information on equality between men and women.

The European Commission prepared a feasibility study and presented it, and one year ago, on 8 March, this decision was taken. It has already been said that this study was a joint and very significant effort by our Parliamentary committee, which took action to ensure that the institute becomes what we all wanted to see: a very flexible technical instrument, with the task of collating all the data supplied by statistical bodies and of disseminating this information in order to give all operators and all those responsible for legislating and taking action the opportunity to make choices that take into account the gender viewpoint.

Some people will wonder whether a gender institute is really necessary. I definitely believe that it is, and this is confirmed by data available to all. As an example, the European directive on equal pay was adopted thirty years ago, in 1975, but today in Europe we still have an average inequality of 15%, while in some countries the figure is very close to 30%.

Employment data also tell a story: Lisbon will only become a reality if increasing numbers of women have access to the employment market, not to mention the problems of a fall in the birth-rate and violence.

In my view there is a need for this institute; we still require an institute of gender for women, aimed at women. The structure will be highly consolidated: there will be nine members of the governing board, plus a representative from the Commission and a representative for every country in the consultative committee.

I would like to end by saying that the opposing positions are of two kinds: some people want to merge everything into an institute for human rights, and there are already plans to set this up in Vienna. If I wished to assist Commissioner Frattini I would agree, but I believe that this is not what women need. Others believe that it would cost too much, but my reply to that is that in Europe we have four bodies working on employment and they cost EUR 66 million a year; this body, on the other hand, will only cost EUR 8 million.

  Jutta D. Haug (PSE), draftsman of the opinion of the Committee on Budgets. – (DE) Mr President, ladies and gentlemen, it is indeed the case that we in the European Union need another effective instrument to enable us to take greater strides towards equality for women and men, for if we carry on mincing along in the way we are now, establishing equality will still be a struggle even for our great-grand-daughters. The planned Institute for Equality Issues can be that additional instrument, but, as we European parliamentarians – and we women in particular – want not only to work hard, but also to do so to lasting effect, the future gender institute must also have the right framework conditions in which to operate, and those include the funding available to it, with which it will have to manage.

There are two comments that the Committee on Budgets and its permanent rapporteur on agencies would like to make in this regard. Firstly, we already have 23 agencies, many of which are being set up or in the course of restructuring, and all of them need a lot of money. If our agreement with the Council on the next financial framework results in less money all round than this House has proposed, this will affect the decentralised agencies too.

Secondly, the Commission has proposed – and to this proposal this House has not objected – that the Gender Institute should be fully financed through the Fifth Strand of PROGRESS. In June of last year, this House, in its position on the Financial Perspective, allocated over EUR 850 million to PROGRESS, but the Council, in December, cut almost 300 million from that amount. Without adequate funding, though, we will be unable to achieve any lasting effects where equality is concerned. Real policy-making and real work require real money if we are not to find ourselves building yet more Potemkin villages, frustrating workers, and throwing sand in the public’s face.

  Borut Pahor (PSE), draftsman of the opinion of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs. – (SL) Before I offer a few thoughts of my own, I would like to express support for my colleague who spoke shortly before me about the importance of funding for the successful work of the institute.

I speak as the draftsman of the opinion of the Committee on Constitutional Affairs, and I wish to express my satisfaction regarding the proposal for the establishment of a European Institute for Gender Equality. I did in fact propose in the Committee on Constitutional Affairs that it should be called an agency rather than an institute. Through this amendment I sought to stress the political commitment of the institution, rather than its academic dimension, which would be conveyed by the word institute.

In any event, to coincide with international women’s day as it were, by taking this decision the European Parliament is encouraging a new step in the establishment of equal opportunities, something I consider to be one of the fundamental ambitions of a modern Europe. I hope that the institute will not be simply a passive statistical office there to measure equality or inequality, but will also be an active proponent of new strategies that will ensure actual progress in respect of equality.

I cannot resist the temptation to tell this distinguished Chamber about Slovenia’s candidacy to host the institute. If Slovenia is chosen, this will be an encouraging decision, for while on the one hand we have been particularly successful in our transition, the data do indicate, however, that men have enjoyed greater success than women. On the other hand the authorities are striving actively to change things, and in this light establishing the institute in a new Member State would be an auspicious decision, since it would encourage positive shifts.

  Anna Záborská, on behalf of the PPE-DE Group. – (FR) Mr President, Commissioner, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to express my deep gratitude to Mrs Gröner and Mrs Sartori for their excellent teamwork within the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality.

Let me take the liberty of asking an iconoclastic question: could we do without a monitoring centre dealing exclusively with the differences in the treatment of men and women?

Thirty years on, despite all of our European directives, the continuing lack of equality in the treatment of men and women in all economic activities is an insult to our democracy. The demographic issue has not been resolved. In the interests of fathers, mothers and children, we must reconcile family life and professional life as a matter of urgency. The Lisbon Strategy has been far from successful. Who takes the creation of the human capital of future generations seriously? Who takes solidarity between the generations seriously? These informal, unpaid economic activities are hard work, and are mostly performed by women. Neither is the role of men in the process of gender equality taken into account at all.

I consequently think it is worthwhile to promote methods of monitoring and condemning the unacceptable differences suffered by women compared to men. Any initiative that objectively condemns these injustices cannot fail to be welcome, going beyond any political differences of opinion.

  Sarah Ludford, on behalf of the ALDE Group. – Mr President, the strength of one’s commitment to gender equality should not be measured by support for the establishment of a Gender Institute. The rapporteurs explain that they support that body: ‘since it ensures that the overarching objective of gender equality ... will not be second to any other anti-discrimination policy at EU level’. This misconceived objective explains why a separate institute is in fact a bad idea. There is no hierarchy of oppression. The promoters see it as more important to have the kudos of an exclusive body than the reality of an across-the-board transformation of society.

The Gender Institute should in fact be part of the new EU Agency on Fundamental Rights, just as the Anti-Racism Monitoring Centre will be. If gender is the only equality objective that stays outside the Fundamental Rights Agency, that will create an unbalanced model as well as weakening the latter agency. It may also ensure that gender equality becomes an isolated backwater rather than the highly visible flag-carrier that its supporters want.

It seems to me quite defensive to say that you need a separate institute to ensure that gender equality remains high on the EU political agenda. On the contrary, women can spearhead the campaign for equality in human rights for all through the Fundamental Rights Agency. That is the opinion of the UK’s Equal Opportunities Commission and I endorse that.

  Hiltrud Breyer, on behalf of the Verts/ALE Group. – (DE) Mr President, the Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance gives its wholehearted backing to an independent and effective gender institute, and endorses Mrs Gröner’s and Mrs Sartori’s report in its entirety.

Many in this House ask why we need a new Institute. Why do we need one? We need one because gender equality is the distinguishing feature of the European Union, for the European Union has said that we see equality as one of the European Union’s values, and because we know that women are still being discriminated against. Contrary to what Mrs Ludford has just said, we are not talking here only about violations of human rights. This discrimination is going on in the labour market, in sport, and in many other areas. We know that women have a part to play in shaping the future, not only in terms of their potential in the Lisbon process, but also, for example, in terms of demography, where their role is positively crucial. Mothers, in particular, have a central role to play as regards the violations of the rights of women migrants. Yesterday, we heard from Commissioner Frattini how we still have too few statistics on forced prostitution. This European Gender Institute is what we need.

In the past, the European Union was a beacon of equality policy. A ‘no’ vote would be a disaster; it would mean a real rupture in the European Union, and would amount to an admission by this House that its equality policy had nothing left to offer. It is for these reasons that I urge the House to vote in large numbers in favour of this Equality Institute. It needs to be made visible in this way.

The Gender Institute is not, however, a substitute for legislative initiative. We will be vigilant in ensuring that equality policy does not run into the sand. The Gender Institute must not be allowed to become a means of appeasement or of distraction from the lack of legislative action. A Gender Institute will not make equality policy any less necessary a component in legislation, and we really will hold the Commission to that.

So let me again ask for really strong support for this report.

  Eva-Britt Svensson, on behalf of the GUE/NGL Group. – (SV) I wish to thank my colleagues in the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, especially Mrs Gröner and Mrs Sartori, for their committed work on this issue. I fully support this, as does the whole group. We realise that an institute cannot in itself bring about increased equality but appreciate that, if it is designed in the right way, it can be an incredibly important tool for successful work in promoting equality.

I should like to indicate two proposals that would further reinforce the work of the institute: firstly, that it be possible effectively to evaluate the consequences for women or, as the case may be, for men of decisions at all levels; and, secondly, that the board be composed of six people from the Council, six from the Commission and a further three from, as appropriate, an employees’ or employers’ organisation and a voluntary organisation. I think that these last three should also have voting rights and that the voluntary organisation should be a women’s organisation.

  Urszula Krupa, on behalf of the IND/DEM Group. – (PL) Mr President, in its effort to achieve equality between the sexes the European Commission intends to devote EUR 50 million to the activities of the planned European Institute for Gender Equality. This body is to be charged with ensuring equal pay for equal work, doing away with gender stereotypes and also promoting equality between the sexes beyond the European Union.

I would, however, like to remind the House that almost 70 million of the 450 million inhabitants of the European Union are living in poverty. This represents 15% of the population and is a clear indication of inequality. It is also a violation of fundamental human rights and an affront to human dignity.

In the interests of peace it would be appropriate to help the poor, do away with unemployment and sort out the situation in the health service. That would be far more beneficial than encouraging ill feeling between men and women, which always has negative consequences for women. Any inequalities relating to remuneration could be remedied by means of a single legal act, which would not require such extensive funding. Instead of attempting to even out the natural imbalances in various areas of the economy and professional life, and promoting equality beyond the Union, we ought to be focusing on equality within the Union. The aforementioned funds would be more usefully spent on helping at least the children living in poverty by improving their living conditions. Promoting the family should take precedence over the elimination of gender stereotypes and would help reverse the current trend to relegate the family to the level of an outmoded cultural curiosity.

  Wojciech Roszkowski, on behalf of the UEN Group. – (PL) Mr President, equality between men and women is an oft-repeated mantra within the European Union. Common sense tells us, however, that this is not at all a straightforward matter. Men and women are referred to as such precisely because they are different. They are equal in terms of dignity but they are different. This is obvious in the world of sport mentioned earlier. I have recently been attempting to discover how the European Commission understands this formula, especially as the formula is very often accompanied by the corollary in all areas. So be it. I therefore enquired if this equality stems from the law of nature or from statute law, and what can be done to enable men to bear children. Commissioner Špidla replied that the principle of gender equality only applies to work and to access to goods and services. That is contrary to fact. After all, Article 23 in Chapter III of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union clearly refers to all areas. If the European Commission is unable to resolve the problem in European law, I doubt the planned institute will manage to do so.

  Lydia Schenardi (NI). – (FR) Mr President, one thing is certain: there is no lack of structures and networks of all kinds devoted to studying and standing up for women. There are the Institute for Gender Equality, various NGOs, ad hoc committees, fundamental rights agencies, consultative forums on women's rights, the European women's lobby, and our own committee within Parliament.

Therefore, is it really reasonable to set up a new European Institute for Gender Equality? In this cloud of structures, not always operating in perfect harmony in terms of the exchange of information, will this new body, which is supposed to network all of this information, have actual resources allowing it to exist? To be clear, can we now be sure that, beyond its future operationality, it will be completely politically and financially independent?

It would appear not, as the Commission is not inclined to give this future institute very much room for manoeuvre. Indeed, its reluctance to allow the director of the institute to be answerable solely to the management board and not to the Commission is very revealing in that regard.

For all these reasons and more besides, I cannot vote in favour of this initiative to create what I would describe as just yet another labyrinthine system.

  Zita Pleštinská (PPE-DE). – (SK) Ladies and gentlemen, the founding of a European institute for gender mainstreaming, a substantial long-term task highlighted by the Treaty of Amsterdam and positively influenced by the process that followed the Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing, has become a theme of political discussion between supporters and opponents of the Institute.

I am one of those who support the shared view of the rapporteurs, Mrs Gröner and Mrs Sartori, who have managed to find a common solution on behalf of the two largest political groups in the European Parliament. I admire and appreciate their work on this report, and in particular their patient awareness-raising campaign advocating the setting up of the Institute as a coordinator whose task will be to provide technical support for EU gender policy implementation, stimulating and acting in partnership with existing institutions, disseminating information and enhancing the visibility of issues relating to gender equality.

I do not support the amendment suggesting that the Institute be integrated into the EU’s Human Rights Agency based in Vienna, as the entire problem area would then become part of an existing agenda, and this would certainly not fulfil the EU’s ambition to strengthen its equal opportunities policy. As the most recent reports also suggest, inequalities between men and women still persist. The existence of inequality is a matter for society as a whole and not just for women. Establishing the Institute will be a major building block for the recently adopted roadmap on implementing equal opportunity policy. In financial terms, the Institute will not be a significant burden, as funding will come from sources that are already in place. The added value of the Institute will also include activities targeted outside the European Union, especially with regard to enlargement, where equal opportunities are, and will remain, a topical agenda.

In conclusion, I am convinced that locating the Institute in one of the new Member States will further the cause of even-handed institutional decentralisation in the European Union.

  Teresa Riera Madurell (PSE). – (ES) Mr President, I would like first of all to congratulate the rapporteurs on their report and express my satisfaction with the Commission’s efforts to provide the European Union with an independent body specifically dedicated to gender equality issues.

I would like to emphasise the need for the Institute to have full independence, without conditions of any kind. This is a fundamental objective if the Institute is to be able to fulfil its objectives, which go far beyond simply providing the Commission with technical assistance.

As a working method, I believe that the idea of creating a European gender equality network is clearly very innovative and effective, above all with a view to meeting the essential time and distance requirements for the sharing and exchange of knowledge, information and policies.

With regard to the structure of the Institute, I believe that an acceptable solution to the issue of the composition of the Management Board has finally been found. This provides for a fair and effective distribution of functions amongst the three institutions, and one appropriate to the actual situation of a body that will unfortunately be under-funded and under-staffed. In this regard, I would like to emphasise that, in order for the Institute to be able to fulfil its objectives, adequate funding that gives credibility to the European Union’s commitment to gender equality is essential.

This is something that we must all bear very much in mind at the moment in the negotiations that are taking place amongst the different institutions with regard to funding.

  Anneli Jäätteenmäki (ALDE). – (FI) Mr President, I am in favour of establishing a separate, active and independent European Institute for Gender Equality. The EU’s firm policy on equality would be a resource. Women are participating more and more in the labour market, and men less and less. In the future we cannot afford to neglect or ignore existing human resources. The Gender Equality Institute could, however, have an influence on this situation. Within the context of the Lisbon Strategy, the equality standpoint carried a lot of weight at first, but it has been forgotten about. The issue of equality should be made far more prominent, and in respect of that an active Institute could work to make the EU stronger and more competitive than ever.

  Irena Belohorská (NI). – (SK) I would like to thank the rapporteurs for drafting this report, which should culminate in the establishment of the European Gender Institute. The task of the Institute will be to collect and analyse gender equality data in the EU countries, as well as to organise conferences and campaigns. It seems to me entirely wrong to call into question the establishment of the Institute and, in this regard, I also object to the way that doubt has been cast on the Slovak Republic as a potential location for the Institute.

I am not going to list every institution that is based in the territories of the fifteen old Member States. I respect the fact that during the founding of the European Union such centres had to be established and further developed as part of a coordinated joint action. I therefore urge you to cast your votes in favour of establishing this Institute.

The Gender Institute could function as an ombudsman for women, a mediator between the government and non-governmental organisations in eliminating injustices, such as discrimination in labour relations. After all, it is widely known that the lowest wages are commonly found in so-called ‘female sectors’, that is, in education and healthcare, whereas the highest wages are typical of male-dominated occupations, such as the armed forces and police. Are the health and education of future generations perhaps less important?

  María Esther Herranz García (PPE-DE). – (ES) Mr President, I would of course like to congratulate the two rapporteurs and all of the members of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, who have done so much work on this report.

I believe that this Institute needs to be a useful instrument, but how useful it is will depend on whether or not the governments really have the political will to achieve equality between men and women.

I say that because, as Mrs Sartori has said, there has been legislation to ensure that men and women are paid the same for the same job for more than fifty years. Nevertheless, we are in 2006 and many women still earn less than men for the same job or have contracts that do not correspond to the work that they are actually doing.

These effective measures, therefore, which are what women need in our European society, require that laws be put into practice and not that more and more laws be created. To this end, we need political will expressed through money, money that has to be provided for in the budgets, both national budgets and European Union budgets.

I want genuine equality, and what, of course, I do not want is political propaganda. When governments that claim to be very progressive present plans such as, for example, the National Reform Plan that has been presented by the government of my country, they often include phrases such as ‘benefits will be given for the contracting of young unemployed males of under thirty years of age’ while at the same time not providing for any measure for women of under thirty years of age, amongst whom, in my country, there is a much higher rate of unemployment than amongst men. I call this demagoguery: saying one thing but doing another, and that is precisely what we must avoid in the European Union.

I therefore say yes to this Institute, but it must serve a genuine purpose.

  Marie-Line Reynaud (PSE). – (FR) I would like to thank the two co-rapporteurs, Mr Gröner and Mrs Sartori, for their excellent work. Indeed, this report adds to the Commission's initial text a number of improvements that I had also proposed in my draft opinion in the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.

I would like to point to four of them. First of all, there is the proactive role given to the institute, particularly through its analysis and expertise missions and the option it is given of submitting its recommendations and guidelines to the Community institutions. Next, there is the importance of cooperation with the fundamental rights agency. Then there is the need for balanced participation of men and women in the management board, and, finally, there is the role of the European Parliament, particularly concerning the nomination of the director of the institute and of the members of the management board and monitoring their work.

This Gender Institute is a vital part of a true Europe of citizens, and I was extremely disappointed that my draft report was rejected by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, 18 votes to 18, because part of the Group of the European People's Party (Christian Democrats) and European Democrats and part of the Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe wanted to prevent this institute from seeing the light of day. That said, I am also pleased to see that the co-rapporteurs have incorporated the essential elements of my concerns into their report.

  Eugenijus Gentvilas (ALDE). – (LT) I am delighted with this report. I believe that it is very important for the identity of the new modern Europe. The equal opportunities problem is especially relevant in the states of Eastern Europe. Indeed, it is no accident that Slovenia, Slovakia and Lithuania aspire to establish this institute in their countries. Women in Eastern European states are still frequently regarded as homemakers and are not integrated into economic processes. The European Parliament has its Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality. In many European states there are ministries, departments and other institutions dedicated to gender equality. That is why I believe it is logical to establish such an institution across the entire European Union. I, therefore, endorse the efforts of rapporteurs L. Gröner and A. Sartori, together with their argument that an independent institute can operate much more effectively than one which is part of another agency. I would like to stress that the institute is needed for men as well as women, and it is a shame that the majority of those speaking today were women.

  Maciej Marian Giertych (NI). – (PL) Mr President, the feminists’ ridiculous slogan about gender equality is detrimental to women. This slogan ascribes great value to male characteristics and suggests that women also possess them. That is not the case. Women possess female characteristics and the latter must also be valued. References to wives that do not work are insulting, because these women work very hard in the home. Their work should be valued and recognised as being worth at least as much as work undertaken by men if not more. One of the most unfortunate features of contemporary society is that women are being forced to work outside the home for financial reasons, because it is impossible to bring up a family on a single wage. This is happening against a background of high unemployment. Women cannot be asked to contribute in the same way as men. For example, they cannot be expected to work shifts or to spend several days away from home. This is because we simply are not equal. Women are of inestimable value due to their role as mothers, which is why they deserve special consideration and protection. They do not need an institute.

  Lidia Joanna Geringer de Oedenberg (PSE). – (PL) Mr President, a European Institute for Gender Equality is urgently needed, because even in the heart of Europe in the 21st century we are regularly witnessing discrimination on the grounds of sex.

Women account for 52% of the population of Europe and they are constantly experiencing discrimination in many areas of their lives. This new Institute must not simply restrict itself to gathering statistical data if it is to promote and implement a gender equality policy effectively in the enlarged Union. It must focus instead on analysing the data in detail and drafting the advice and guidelines needed to mainstream the concept of gender equality effectively in the European legal system. It should be borne in mind that gender equality, which the Institute is charged with promoting, is a fundamental right and a priority Community policy. It is enshrined in the Treaty and must be implemented across all areas of social and economic activity, notably as regards access to employment and entrepreneurship.

It would be appropriate for the Institute’s seat to be located in the new part of the united Europe, perhaps in Poland. Poland is the largest of the new countries, and a country where not only is discrimination widespread, but is also played down by the authorities.

  Justas Vincas Paleckis (PSE). (LT) Emile Zola said that a woman is the axis around which civilisation revolves. This institute should become the axis around which European gender equality issues and its implementation revolve. To make the European Institute for Gender Equality a reality, all there needs to be is an understanding of the problem, political will and some funding. It is considerably harder for the institute's work to change attitudes towards women, and to eradicate the discrimination they endure in many European countries. The institute should employ not just any specialists, but people of both sexes who are passionate about its activities. The influence of the European Parliament in the formation of the institute's team and constant parliamentary control are a necessity. The institute should evaluate the situation in every area, in every country and present proposals. On this basis, EU institutions would take effective measures and would demand the same of national governments. The institute should begin its work in one of the new EU countries. Vilnius offers not only what Lithuania can achieve through the implementation of equality, but also the opportunity to combine the experience of the leading Scandinavian countries with the potential of Central Europe, and indeed the whole of Europe.

  Vladimír Špidla, Member of the Commission. (CS) Ladies and gentlemen, I have listened with great interest to your discussion and I hope you will allow me to touch on several of the issues that have been raised. First of all I would like to express my appreciation for the exceptional quality of the report by the rapporteurs, which can only be described as brilliant, in view of the complexity of the subject matter. Ladies and gentlemen, in the debate a number of arguments and opinions have been put forward, which in my view require a response.

The first opinion to be expressed was the view that this institution should become part of the human rights agenda. A series of speakers in the discussion have taken the view, which I fully support, that the question of equal opportunities goes far beyond the simple issue of human rights, albeit that human rights are of fundamental importance. The issue of equal opportunities is a broader issue.

There was a question as to whether it was right for the European Union to promote equal opportunities even in its international relations. I must state my firm conviction that there is a need for this. The EU is involved in countless international connections, both with the Member States and in the context of development aid and at a multilateral level, and each of these offers the opportunity of effectively reinforcing gender equality.

Ladies and gentlemen, I am convinced that gender equality, promoted and backed on a global scale, will provide a major source of global stability and is capable of pacifying many of our current conflicts. I also feel that the argument put forward in the debate that the institute will provide greater visibility and political transparency for the issues of equal rights and equal opportunities is correct. I fully support this argument. It is also right to remind ourselves, as was frequently stated in the debate, that we have much work still to do. Clearly, we are trying to define policies on the basis of argument, and that is one of the civilised outcomes of life in today’s Europe. I might add that these are policies based on practical proofs and practical opinions. Even from this perspective the institute can enhance quality.

It is, in my view, apparent that there is a wealth of important information that is not being used effectively in political decision-making. Which of you, for example, knows that in Spain men spend 52 million hours a year taking care of others while for women the figure is 200 million hours. This is certainly an important indicator of how unequally we share some of the duties and responsibilities that we have as human beings – men and women. And yet none of this information feeds into political decision-making. I am convinced that the institute will make many things possible.

Ladies and gentlemen, one of the sound principles of European parliamentary life is multi-lingualism and we often discover that a given matter can be expressed more elegantly and accurately in some other European language. I hope you will therefore allow me to quote the German expression ‘Stillstand ist Rückschritt’. I am fully convinced that to stay where you are means in reality to retreat. Ladies and gentlemen, allow me to express an opinion on the amendments that are defined in the report, or which form part of your upcoming vote. The committee’s attitude regarding the nature of the institute allows us to be flexible and to accept most of the amendments that strengthen the role and working methods of the institute, including the creation of the network for the institute. These amendments are acceptable in their original form, either in part or after reworking. The second category includes the amendments that increase the readability of the text and which the Commission equally can accept in their original form or after a small amount of reworking. The third group are the amendments that relate to the legal presentation techniques, which, although they are constructive, mark a departure from the original provisions of the existing instruments and therefore cannot be adopted, for reasons of maintaining cohesion. Finally there are the amendments that relate to horizontal questions, in other words to all agencies and organisations, in respect of procedures for selecting directors, extending their contracts and assessing organisations. These amendments cannot be accepted, because it is necessary to maintain a certain principle of cohesion in relation to all agencies.

I have left to the end the question of the composition of the governing council. We are delighted that the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality has come out in favour of limiting the number of members on the governing council and that it has followed the European Parliament resolution from December last year on an operational framework for future regulatory agencies. We can now be guided by this proposal, although the number of Commission representatives is not the same as in the case of the Council. The equilibrium between the two organisations and between the two levels of interest, which is to say the national level and the Community level, may be further secured if, in accordance with the proposal and where the Commission has responsibility, the voice of its representative carries the same weight as the voices of all of the Council representatives together, in the very limited number of cases involving the approval of budgets and programmes of work. We therefore accept Amendments 66, 82 and 85 relating to the composition of the governing council and voting regulations. In the same spirit we agree that the number of members can be reduced to a mere 25 representatives of the Member States, as stated in Amendments 67 and 83, and we consider it sufficient that participating parties are present at meetings of the governing council without voting rights. We hope that the Council will be able to adopt your proposal for the governing council, which, together with the rotating system, will allow representatives from all Member States to alternate over a period of three mandates.

In conclusion, I would like to say that we took pains to adopt as many of your amendments as possible. The Commission can now adopt Amendments 2 to 10, 13, 15, 17, 18, 20, 24, 25, 26, 28, 29, 35, 36, 38 to 42, 44, 45, 48, 53, 55, 59 to 69, 74 and 76 to 85. The Commission cannot adopt Amendments 1, 11, 12, 14, 16, 19, 21 to 23, 27, 30 to 34, 37, 43, 46, 47, 49 to 52, 54, 56 to 58, 70 to 73 and part of 75. We should also pay regard to the discussions in the Council, and we must take every effort to ensure that an acceptable compromise is achieved by the end of the year. The Commission is counting on the support of the European Parliament to set up this much needed European institute, and it is important to ensure that the organisation begins work in 2007, in the interests of progress and to raise the profile of the gender equality policy. I will of course be submitting an opinion on individual amendments in writing later.

(Applause)

  President. – The debate is closed.

The vote will take place today at 11.30 a.m.

Written Statements (Rule 142)

  Hélène Goudin (IND/DEM). – (SV) The June List believes that gender equality issues are important and that it absolutely goes without saying that women and men should be treated equally under all circumstances. The EU’s new Institute for Gender Equality is to analyse equality in the EU by comparing data from different Member States.

The obvious question to be asked is: what added value will this authority contribute? Will it have a practical and significant job to do, or will it mainly be a way for the EU institutions to demonstrate their ability to take action? Will the authority help increase gender equality, or will it mainly constitute a type of alibi and way of showing that the EU cares about equality issues?

The arguments presented in the report are unconvincing. The authority’s tasks could be carried out within the framework of existing structures. The EU already has its central statistics agency, Eurostat, which is able to produce comparative statistics on gender equality in EU countries. There are also national authorities that work on equality issues and that can cooperate across national borders.

The Commission consists of 18 men and 7 women. Approximately 30% of MEPs are women. The EU institutions should begin by applying equality within their own structures and in that way setting an example, before new centralised EU authorities are set up. Cooperation can also take place in more decentralised forms, without the EU growing larger as a result of new authorities being created for every important issue.

  Katalin Lévai (PSE). – (HU) Ladies and gentlemen, the establishment of the European Institute for Gender Equality, which will facilitate the elimination of all forms of gender discrimination throughout Europe, is of paramount importance.

I agree with the wish expressed by the rapporteurs that the activities of the Institute should not be restricted merely to data collection, record keeping and research. The analyses should be integrated in the policies of Member States innovatively, with the objective that equal opportunities become a main political guideline and mainstreaming for legislators. At the same time, the results of the research should be made available to the general public, to enable European citizens to adopt a conscious position regarding the issues surrounding gender equality. However, this requires that the relationship of the Institute with the civil sector and the forums responsible for communication issues is strengthened and institutionalised. I would like to call attention to the fact that cooperation with the media and the employment of modern means of communication constitute an important task of the Institute!

Resources must be made available to ensure that the results of research go beyond the professional sphere and are available and useable as widely as possible. The work of the Institute will only be effective if it really operates as the European network of gender equality, if it is able to coordinate Member State centres, organisations and specialists involved in the general implementation of equal opportunities, and if its message reaches the governments and the citizens of Europe.

I congratulate the rapporteurs and propose that the document be accepted!

Thank you for the floor!

IN THE CHAIR: MR MOSCOVICI
Vice-President