Strasbourg, 29/12/2005 (Agence Europe) - The European Parliament is calling on the European Commission and the Member States to 'launch the necessary actions to ensure greater legal and social recognition and promote and raise the profile of the work of women in the fisheries sector'. Adopting an own initiative report in Strasbourg on 15 December by Elspeth Attwooll (ALDE, UK), the EP called for support for women's efforts to 'obtain better living conditions for their families and communities and to guarantee social and economic rights, including wage equality, unemployment benefit in case of interruption of work (temporary or definitive), the right to obtain a pension, the reconciliation of work and family life and access to parental leave, access to social security and a free health service, and the protection of health and safety at work.'
The EP welcomes the European Commission's plan to organise a new conference on women working in fisheries in the near future but feels that not enough progress has been made. It urges the Commission to urgently publish a report 'identifying the nature, extent, objectives and activities of women's networks in fisheries throughout the EU, paying particular attention to the situation in the newer Member States.'
'Recognising that these networks have emerged above all form local or regional initiatives, the EP calls on the Commission to look into specific measures to provide active support for both the development of existing women's networks, particularly where they are less consolidated, and their creation where no such networks exist.' The European Parliament calls on the Commission to establish 'appropriate channels to increase and disseminate information on the situation of women' in fisheries, providing women with information about training options and funding.
MEPs welcome provisions in the proposed European Fisheries Fund (2007-2013) that oblige Member States to ensure that operations to enhance the role of women in the fisheries industry to be promoted. MEPs call on the Commission to launch a special pilot project to address the particular problems facing women shellfish gatherers.
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