Brussels, 15/11/2012 (Agence Europe) - A quota of women on corporate boards is a step towards meritocracy, the European Women's Lobby (EWL) says. Yet in order to optimise the proposal for a directive, it should be relieved of a fair number of its limitations. The EWL is counting on the European Parliament to make adjustment, and it calls on member states to support the proposal and give it sufficient sanctions.
The proposal of European Commissioner for Fundamental Rights Viviane Reding for a 40% quota of women on the board of blue chip companies by 2020 is generally accepted by the EWL. However, the legislative proposal should nevertheless be improved. The EWL finds it regrettable that only blue chip companies of more than 250 employees and €50 billion turnover are concerned - this represents about 5,000 businesses. To this is added “an inexplicable provision” that only non-executive posts are concerned, EWL says. The association therefore calls on the European Parliament “to rectify this blatant double-standard”.
Starting from the principle that “the real test of any legislation lies in its implementation”, the EWL regrets that the choice of sanctions lies only in the hands of the member states. It therefore calls on the national governments to “fulfil their commitments and honour their values by giving this legislative proposal their full and sincere backing, and thereafter laying down sanctions with the necessary clout to break the glass ceiling once and for all”. (MD/transl.fl)