Brussels, 11/09/2012 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament's Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee is very unhappy about the lack of women on the European Central Bank (ECB)'s Executive Board, as Sylvie Goulard (ADLE, France) explained at a press conference on Tuesday 11 September. It is particularly unhappy in that the European Commission is planning to introduce legislation for a 40% quota of women on the boards of companies quoted on the stock exchange. Goulard spoke about the Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee's decision to postpone the confirmation hearing of Yves Mersch as the new member of the six-man ECB Executive Board, which comprises central bank governors, (see EUROPE 10684). The last woman on the board was Gertrude Tumpel-Gugerell, who left in May 2011. Goulard explained on Tuesday, the day after Mersch's hearing was due to take place, that this failure to appoint a woman contravenes the EU treaties, which say men and woman are equal, and it fails to reflect society in the ECB's membership. Above all, it is 'peculiar' that the ECOFIN Council decided to appoint a sixth man to the ECB Executive Council without even having a woman on the shortlist at a time when EU Fundamental Rights Commissioner Viviane Reding is preparing to unveil draft legislation to force companies to have more women on their management boards (see EUROPE 10681). Goulard pointed out that it made no sense for the EU institutions to introduce legislation to force companies to have 40% of their management boards made up of women when public institutions do not do so. (MD/transl.fl)