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Gender equality: establishment of a European Institute for Gender Equality

2005/0017(COD)

 The committee adopted the report by Lissy GRÖNER (PES, DE) and Amalia SARTORI (EPP-ED, IT) approving the proposal to establish a European Institute for Gender Equality, subject to a number of amendments under the 1st reading of the codecision procedure:

- the Institute's objectives should also include raising EU citizens' awareness of gender equality;

- the focus of its work should be shifted away from the mere collecting and recording of information on gender equality and towards the analysis of such information. The Institute should also draw the attention of the relevant entities to sectors that have not been researched and suggest initiatives designed to fill the gaps;

- a European Network on Gender Equality should be set up for the purposes of pooling and exchanging information;

- the Institute should seek to project a positive image of the role of women in present-day societies, by publishing success stories involving women in every walk of life;

- the Institute should be able to submit recommendations and guidelines to the EU institutions so that gender mainstreaming can be effectively incorporated into Community legislation. It should also be able to submit reports to the EU institutions on gender equality and gender mainstreaming in the accession and candidate countries;

- the committee also adopted a number of amendments relating to the composition and appointment of the Management Board and the Director, along the lines of the solution chosen for the establishment of the European Food Safety Authority in 2002. The aim was to ensure a fair and efficient distribution of roles between Commission, Parliament and Council. MEPs also said that the representation of each sex on the Management Board should not be less than 40%, and that the Director should be appointed on the basis of a list of candidates proposed by the Commission after an open competition;

- lastly, the committee called for the Institute to be operational "as soon as possible".