Brussels, 20/02/2013 (Agence Europe) - The European Commission should ensure that the directive on gender equality (2004/113/EC) is well applied by all member states and in all political and economic sectors. MEPs from the European Parliament's women's rights and gender equality committee (FEMM) stress this point in a resolution adopted on Tuesday 19 January. They also want to review European legislation authorising differentiated insurance premiums.
Until now the European Commission has not yet published a report on the application of this directive on gender equality in access to and supply of goods and services. The author of the resolution, Zita Gurmai (S&D, Hungary), therefore calls on the Commission to present data “in a timely manner”, adding that “the current crisis cannot be used as an excuse for lower funding or for reducing the scope of this directive”. In the MEPs' view, the Commission should present a new legislative proposal to address the problems that could continue.
MEPs are also concerned at the fact that since December 2012 insurance rates can no longer take gender into account in their calculation, following a ruling of the European Court of Justice. The FEMM committee fears that this may cause uncertainty on the market, including a sudden increase in premiums for women. MEPs would thus like the Commission to propose a new legislative text, and would like the insurance sector to re-examine its pricing system in order to reform its risk assessment system.
The resolution will be put to the vote at the plenary session in April. (MD/transl.fl)