The Finnish Minister for Nordic Cooperation and Equality, Thomas Blomqvist, spoke about the legislative work still underway in the EU Council in a 'committed' but 'realistic' way to the MEPs of the Committee on Women's Rights on Monday 23 September. Unlike the European Commission, he was particularly sceptical about quotas for women.
On this subject, he said: "Let's be honest: I'm afraid we can't do it". Two weeks earlier, however, the Director-General of the European Commission's Justice, Consumer Protection and Gender Equality department, Tiina Astola, said she was rather confident that she would reach a compromise in the EU Council on this text, which establishes a 40% quota for women on the Management Boards of listed companies (see EUROPE 12321/9, 12184/13). Further: "I am delighted that Mrs von der Leyen considers this text to be important. The text is ready for adoption and, if the conditions are right, we will do so", he said, promising that Finland would do "its best to ensure that the text makes progress".
He also regretted that the proposal for an anti-discrimination directive was also blocked in the EU Council, now for 11 years. He indicated that the Presidency intended to hold a political discussion on this subject at the Employment and Social Affairs Council on 24 October. Finland also plans to submit conclusions to Ministers on the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration on the Advancement of Women and on the achievement of gender equality. (Original version in French by Sophie Petitjean)