Brussels, 15/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - The Greens regret that the legal affairs (JURI) and women's rights (FEMM) committees have not extended the 40% quota of women for executive posts on the boards of directors of major companies quoted on the stock exchange. On Monday 14 October, the spokesperson for the Greens, Maije Cornelissen (Netherlands), asserted that in connection with the draft directive, the rejection of the amendments on the subject, “will limit the reach and effectiveness of the quota in tackling the exclusion of women from senior management”. She believes that MEPs missed the opportunity to strengthen European Commissioner for Fundamental Rights Viviane Reding's draft directive. Nevertheless, the Greens more broadly welcome the fact that these parliamentary committees have acknowledged through their vote that the self-regulation does not lead to any significant improvements and that binding legislation should in the long-term target, “parity in the boardrooms”.
The Socialists welcomed the fact that the draft directive's scope ensures exemption for SMEs but not for family companies, as the Conservatives wanted. Co-rapporteur Evelyne Regner (S&D, Austria) believes that this would be “unacceptable” because it would have meant that “family” companies such as BMW and Lego would have not been subject to quotas. The Socialists are also pleased that penalties have been toughened up. Their amendments calling for companies that do not introduce equal recruitment policies should be excluded from public calls for tender or structural funds were adopted. (MD/transl.fl)