Luxembourg, 02/06/2004 (Agence Europe) - After having achieved some remarkable progress in citizens' mobility (EUROPE yesterday p 9), social and employment ministers of the enlarged EU saw their work for equal opportunities between men and women crowned with success on Tuesday in Luxembourg. They have their full and unconditional support for the setting up of a European Institute for Gender and expressed their support for a gradual approach in sexual equality outside the workplace.
The establishment of a European Institute for Gender (which had already been called for in the European social agenda by the European Council of Nice in 2000) is a "clear sign of our commitment to the cause of sexual equality in the enlarged Union and our desire to develop new initiatives in this regard", underlined Willie O'Dea, the Irish minister for justice and equality, a the end of the "Equal Opportunities" session at the Council. This institute will strengthen the possibilities for exchanging data, good practices and knowledge in the area, added O'Dea. With the full backing of the Council, president O'Dea decided to ask prime minister Bertie Ahern to try and obtain the approval of the European Council so that the European gender institute is established during its meeting on 17-18 June in Brussels. Commissioner Stavros Dimas said that, "the idea of setting up such an institute and the massive support it has received is very encouraging". Nevertheless, the Commissioner underlined that the creation of the institute had to bring real added value and budgetary neutrality, namely "more results but with the funds already available". Dimas explained that the role of the institute would be a co-ordination role with the synergy of the existing institutes for collecting data and diffusing information with the objective of increasing visibility concerning the issue of gender equality in all European policies. He concluded that "this will be a technical and not a political instrument".
In the afternoon, ministers held their first debate on the draft directive on gender equality and access to goods and services (Article 13 of the treaty). They expressed their support for a gradual approach between the sexes outside of the workplace. Discussions focused on the banning of gender as an actuarial reason for deciding on the provision of financial services and insurance, a subject that is particularly delicate in the insurance industry. The president asked ministers to decide whether they would support the Commission proposal banning the use of gender as an actuarial factor.
Some Member States supported the Commission proposal, while other warned against the possible consequences for the insurance industry and consumers. President Willie O'Dea, nonetheless, noted a "certain willingness for compromise" on the issue. At present, it will be necessary to examine the issue, he indicated during the final press conference, pointing our that Article 13 required unanimity. He called on Member States to find a compromise on Article 4 of the European Commission. According to this proposal involving "actuarial/insurance" factors, the ban on using gender in the calculation of costs and benefits for insurance is expected to be limited to cases where objectively justified criteria cannot be invoked (EUROPE 5 November p 13). O'Dea explained that the "main problem" in its current form was that the draft article demanded men and women to be treated exactly the same in life assurance cases. In this sector, women pay higher premiums than men because statistically they live longer. Therefore, it is necessary to put a stop to this situation. Willie O'Dea admitted that insurance companies were afraid of market distortion. (For the arguments over the new Commission proposal, whether it is from the EP, women's lobby or the insurance industry see EUROPE 1, 2 and 3 April, 19 March, 20 February and 11 November 2003).
Other results
Stavros Dimas presented the Council with the Commission proposal for revising the directives on equal treatment in the labour market and workplace. Dimas explained that these directives had been merged in order to make the drafts more coherent and clear. Dimas said that the new directive entirely integrated the jurisprudence of the Court of Justice and concluded that this involved a "single simplified text, which clearly exposed the situation to citizens".
President O'Dea also examined the different conferences organised by the Irish presidency in the area of equal opportunities: new horizons for equal opportunities (Limerick), violence against women (Dublin) and the implementation of equality into development policy (Limerick). He also presented the Council with a report on sexual harassment in the workplace in the EU 25, for which indicators will be developed during the Dutch presidency.