18/06/2003 (Agence Europe) - The EP's committee on women's rights, chaired by Greek Socialist Anna Karamanou, held a hearing to discuss ways of increasing the number of women MEPs, with a view to the European elections of June 2004. Ms Karamanou pointed out that the percentage of women elected to the EP had been below 20% in 1994, but had risen to 27% thanks to an ambitious campaign carried out that year, and currently stands at 31%, although women make up only 14% of the accession country observers to the EP. Some experts pleaded in favour of a quota system to encourage political parties to put women candidates forward in elections (for example, no fewer than 40% for women), but several candidate countries objected, saying that this reminded them too much of their communist past.