Brussels, 31/01/2005 (Agence Europe) - Implementation of the Peking platform, the directive revising sexual equality, further examination of the Community programme for employment and social solidarity (Progress), the Commission's proposal on how the budget works and the future European institute on gender: these are all the priorities of the Luxembourg minister for equal opportunities Marie-Josée Jacobs in the context of the Luxembourg presidency.
Presenting her programme to the Women's Rights and Equal Opportunities Committee at the European Parliament, Marie-Josée called for a complete reaffirmation of the EU's commitments for implementing the Peking Platform and documents from the 23 Extraordinary Session of the UN General Assembly. In this connection she pointed out that a conference would take place on 2-3 February in Luxembourg, which would allow for the evaluation of the key mechanisms at play in the promotion of sexual equality from a gender-specific perspective. She also announced that a ministerial conference would be held in Luxembourg on 4 February on EU policies on sexual equality. In the context of the objectives in the Lisbon strategy, Ms Jacobs pointed out that for the Luxembourg presidency, the social chapter had to remain a priority and that social inclusion and equality between men and women provided the catalyst for sustainable development. Jacobs also explained that the presidency had also reaffirmed that within the framework of the Lisbon strategy, the EU was committed to equality between men and women and that “the integration of gender should not be limited to a few areas of strategy but ought to run throughout it”. She explained that the presidency had to take into account the recommendations of the Kok report and other reports by the Commission. She said that she was counting on the support of the EP for strengthening the gender factor in the Lisbon process.
Ms Jacobs also said that she would do all she could to get the directive moving on sexual equality issues, hopefully after a first reading at the EP, with the it being put on the Council agenda in June. Ms Jacobs said that following her contacts with Commissioner Spidla he European Commission would be presenting a proposal on how the budget worked, as well as the budget for the future institute on gender at the end of February or beginning of March.