Poland and Hungary continue to oppose the use of the concept of “gender” in texts negotiated at European level. Warsaw and Budapest expressed this opposition in statements sent to the ambassadors of the Member States by the Secretariat-General of the Council of the EU on Monday 3 and Tuesday 4 May.
Specifically, Poland and Hungary regretted the use of this term in a decision on the Union Civil Protection Mechanism (see EUROPE 12707/4). Poland also reacted to the inclusion of the word “gender” in the new regulation on the European Institute of Innovation and Technology and in the decision establishing its strategic programme (see EUROPE 12707/3).
The message, however, is always the same: both countries consider that the term “gender” refers to “sex” and will interpret any provision on gender equality “in the sense of equality between women and men”.
Warsaw and Budapest are no strangers to this: they have already prevented the adoption of EU Council conclusions on this ground (see EUROPE 12614/26, EUROPE 12624/33) and argued their case in negotiations (see EUROPE 12608/17).
The word “gender” is also regularly referred to as “ideology” by MEPs from the ruling parties in Hungary and Poland.
See the statements: https://bit.ly/3xLAP9w; https://bit.ly/3h3DPrT ; https://bit.ly/3ejydb5 (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)