Strasbourg, 08/07/2002 (Agence Europe) - Adopting the report by Ilda Figueiredo (GUE/NGL, Portugal) on the implementation of the 2001-2005 programme for equality between men and women, the European Parliament called for the European Commission to present a work programme for 2003 before November 2002, along with an assessment of the application of directives, resolutions and recommendations on equal rights and opportunities in order to get legislation and all measures likely to promote equality between men and women applied more rapidly.
It also pointed out that the accession negotiations will be concluded at the end of 2002 and highlighted the importance of providing both men and women in candidate countries about the result of the negotiations so they can be involved in future referenda. The European Parliament is calling on the Commission to take account of different target groups in its information and awareness-raising campaigns.
Presenting her report, Ilde Figueiredo explained that less than 20% of the Members of the European Convention are women. Roberta Angilillo (UEN, Italy) said that this had given rise to "bitterness". Austrian Social Democrat Christa Prets said that women only accounted for between 13 and 20% of staff at the European institutions. Lone Dybkjaer (Liberal group, Denmark) said that subsidiarity was important in issues like childcare infrastructure while Social Affairs Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou agreed with her, regretting that bar some exceptions, Member States were reluctant to adopt target figures that could allow progress to be measured. She stressed the crucial importance of the draft directive she is planning to unveil based on Article 13. Many MEPs called for an equal opportunities institute to be set up and Diamantopoulou said that the research and an initial budget estimate had already been carried out but she had explained the problems with such an initiative at the last Social Affairs Council.