Brussels, 15/05/2000 (Agence Europe) - As briefly indicated in EUROPE, the Commission is proposing to appoint two women to the posts of Director-General or Deputy Director-General (level A1) during 2000, as well as five women to the posts of Director or Chief Adviser (level A2). It also plans to appoint women to 20% of the posts of Head of Unit and Adviser (A3-A5), and will recruit equal numbers of men and women from the reserve lists drawn up after entrance competitions, wherever possible.
A note from the spokesman stresses that this initiative is a response to the priority of the Prodi Commission to appoint equal numbers of men and women to decision-making posts. It comes in the wake of the overall goal set by the Prodi Commission on 8 December to double, during its term of office, the number of women appointed to grades A1 and A2 (22 on 1 January 2000) within its services, and is the first practical step towards achieving this ambition. An analysis of the development of statistics since 1995 (the year when the Commission had adopted annual targets for the recruitment of female officials in category A and for the appointment of women to middle management and grade A2 posts), reveals gradual but significant improvement of female category A appointments within Commission services (19.4% in January 2000 as opposed to 14% in January 1995) as well as posts of Director (12% compared to 2.6%) and Head of Unit and Adviser (14.9% compared to 10.5%), adds a spokesman's service press release, specifying that, for the first time, annual targets for the A1 level have been adopted. These aims also come within the framework of the "Third Action Programme for equal opportunities for women and men - 1997/2000", adopted on 2 April 1997 by the Commission.
"By setting these objectives, the Commission (…) is acting in its own interest, acknowledging that promoting more women at all management levels will enhance its performance", commented Commissioner Neil Kinnock. "Our aim is to create a momentum which, in a few years' time, will mean that there are as many female managers as men to chose from when making appointments". Anna Diamantopoulou, Commissioner for Equal Opportunities, was glad the Commission had adopted quantified targets and felt "this shows clearly that the Commission practices itself what it preaches to others".