Brussels, 30/09/2015 (Agence Europe) - The EU's new 2016-2020 framework action to promote gender equality and women's empowerment in external EU policies is disappointing, according to CONCORD, the network of European relief and development NGOs.
The framework action, adopted ahead of the global sustainable development summit, aims to enable the EU to work twice as hard at contributing to bridge the gap that persists between men and women in the world (see EUROPE 11396). However, the form the framework action takes - a simple working paper from the European Commission and European External Action Service (EEAS), rather than a formal Commission communication - translates into a lack of the Commission's political resolve, which urgently needs to be addressed, according to CONCORD.
This is all the more the case as the Council of the EU had called last May for the leadership of the Commission and EEAS to be revitalised since the Council was concerned at the slow progress being made in terms of analysis, statistics, monitoring, financing and results. The Council wanted the revitalised leadership to translate the EU's resolve to make gender equality a priority (see EUROPE 11326).
CONCORD also states that several MEPs, including the chair of the European Parliament's development committee, Linda McAvan (S&D, UK), had co-signed an open letter calling on the Commission to present a communication.
“We are extremely disappointed that the Commission only views this most important of topics worthy of a joint staff working paper rather than a formal communication from the Commission. President Juncker has promised to be big on the big things and small on the small things, and so only presenting a staff working paper on this sends the message that this European Commission believes gender is a small thing”, said Seamus Jeffreson, the director of CONCORD. He added: “We now call on the Council of Ministers to send a strong message back to the Commission on the priority gender equality and women's empowerment truly represents for our collective external policies”.
CONCORD is counting on the EU member states and all the political actors involved to agree on an increase in financing to ensure that this framework is implemented with enough rigour. (Original version in French by Aminata Niang)