Meeting as part of the European Parliament’s Gender Equality Week (see EUROPE 12818/25), MEPs in the Committee on Legal Affairs again called for the resumption of discussions in the EU Council on the draft so-called ‘Women on Boards’ Directive (see EUROPE 12575/19, 12578/26).
“It has been 8 years since the Commission published its proposal and 7 years since the European Parliament adopted its position” on the subject, recalled Lara Wolters (S&D, the Netherlands), co-rapporteur on the proposal to introduce a 40% requirement for women on company boards.
Ms Wolters and her colleague Evelyn Regner (S&D, Austria) noted, however, “positive changes in the political landscape”.
“I’m very positive towards the French Presidency to pick up the issue”, said Ms Regner, chairwoman of the European Parliament’s Committee on Women’s Rights and co-rapporteur on the issue.
A year ago, MEPs called on the German Presidency of the EU Council to take up the issue. It was, however, without success (see EUROPE 12581/14). Discussions then resumed very briefly under the Portuguese Presidency (see EUROPE 12740/18), but have not continued under the current Slovenian Presidency.
The French Presidency of the EU Council will begin in January. France’s Secretary of State for European Affairs, Clément Beaune, was quick to point out that Paris would put the social issue at the top of its agenda (see EUROPE 12735/28).
The other news that gives hope to MEPs is the arrival of a new German government. Ms Regner pledged to “use this window of opportunity” to “push the topic”. Germany, which already has national legislation in this area, has so far been among the States reluctant to make progress on the draft directive.
Finally, the two rapporteurs noted “signs of optimism” in some capitals “where things are moving forward”.
“In recent weeks, in my country, a law has been adopted on this subject, based on the recommendations of the Economic and Social Council”, Ms Wolters said. “It’s really my hope that we don’t enter a fourth mandate of this parliament without an agreement on it”, she continued.
Mss Wolters and Regner were again supported by most of their colleagues. MEP Irène Tolleret (Renew Europe, France), for her part, said that in order “to really move forward these dossiers blocked in the Council, a formal space for exchange and deliberation is essential”.
The MEP again called for a new EU Council configuration devoted to gender equality (see EUROPE 12624/28)—just as the European Commission now has a Commissioner for Equality and the European Parliament a committee also responsible for equality.
This project was also openly supported by Paris in March 2020 (see EUROPE 12441/8). (Original version in French by Agathe Cherki)