Brussels, 09/12/2014 (Agence Europe) - The Italian Presidency of the Council of the EU has the firm intention to win agreement on a 40% quota for women on company management boards, but nothing suggests that general guidelines can be reached by show of hand at the Employment, Social Affairs and Consumers Council (EPSCO) on Thursday 11 December, where ministers will discuss another controversial issue, maternity pay, which has been in deadlock at the Council for nearly four years.
Hard core. The Italian Presidency will have to take a hard line if a compromise is to be reached on the draft directive setting an indicative quota of 40% of women for non-executive posts on the management boards of large European companies quoted on the stock exchange. More than a dozen member states back the draft legislation, but a hard core oppose the idea of a binding quota (Denmark, Estonia, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom). The latter countries do not oppose the directive's aim of breaking through the glass ceiling that prevents women from reaching board level. The Czech, Austrian and Swedish delegations have not yet made their position clear. A vetoing minority is therefore not to be ruled out, but attention will focus on Germany, which initially opposed the quota, but recently introduced a quota of its own in its own country (see EUROPE 11206). Berlin has not yet informed Brussels of its negotiating stance.
Flexible compromise. The Italian Presidency will try to win round the hard core with a new compromise agreement that includes a flexibility clause to allow member states to decide on their own means for introducing equality. It also suggests delaying by three years the date on which the directive would come into force. At this stage, it is hard to say whether the Presidency's moves will pay off. It's touch and go, admitted a close source.
Maternity leave. The Presidency will also have its work cut out for it when it raises the question of maternity leave with the ministers. It has been in deadlock at the Council since 2011 (progress report), but the European Parliament decided on its position four years ago and the Commission is prepared to withdraw the draft legislation as part of it REFIT programme to reduce the legislative burden. In order to get the ball rolling, the Italian Presidency may suggest using the enhanced cooperation mechanism. (MD)