Brussels, 27/04/2012 (Agence Europe) - Member states have done away with the reference to gender, the fight against discrimination and disabilities in the legislative package on reform of cohesion policy for the next programming period (2014-2020). This has caused an emotive reaction at the European Women's Lobby (EWL) as the EU Council's position runs counter to the promotion of gender equality, in contradiction with the treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights.
EU27 skip over women's rights. The partial general approach adopted by the 27 EU member states early this week during the General Affairs Council (see EUROPE 10601) does not cover the European Commission proposals that refer to gender equality, especially in the chapter relating to ex ante conditionality. The EWL gave EUROPE the following explanation: “Cohesion policy can help member states to address gender inequalities that persist across the EU and address the gendered impacts of the crisis. At the moment, it is not up to the task. Gender equality is a horizontal principle of all cohesion policy funds but member states are not doing a good job in implementing gender mainstreaming. The Commission's proposals were a step in the right direction. The gender equality conditionality rejected by the member states would have been a powerful tool to ensure member states will perform better in the future.”
No reference to discrimination. More broadly, the partial approach omits any reference to the fight against discrimination or disability. Finding this to be alarming, a group of eight associations published a joint declaration after the General Affairs Council. Together, the AGE Platform Europe, the European Anti-Poverty Network, the European Disability Forum, the European Foundations Centre, the European Network Against Racism, Social Economy Europe and the European Women's Lobby urge the Council to go back on its decision and to take the Commission's proposals into account so that the European structural funds are able to activate participation by the most vulnerable people in Europe. (MD/transl.jl)