Brussels, 01/06/2001 (Agence Europe) - The Hautala Report amending the 1976 directive on equal treatment for women and men (see yesterday's EUROPE, page 11) was the focus of a round table discussion, on 30 May in Brussels, whose participants included rapporteur Miet Smet (Christian Democrat, B), Fiorella Ghilardotti (Democratici di sinistra, I) and Geneviève Fraisse (GUE, F).
"Amendment of the 1976 directive is the most important thing in the history of this laboratory of equal opportunity that is Europe", declared Ms Fraisse. It is also important, in anticipation of enlargement, to have a "tangible reference on the question of equal opportunity in terms of employment", which is "essential for the modernization of the applicant States", commented Ms Fraisse. Heidi Hautala stressed the "great disparity in the Union on the issue of parental leave" and insisted on the importance of taking "assertive measures that will lead to genuine equality and make it possible to reconcile family and career". Miet Smet placed emphasis on the need for businesses to adopt a "preventive attitude to detect sexual harrassment" and called for "a person to be appointed in each company to deal with this problem".