Legislative Observatory
European Parliament
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Gender equality: establishment of a European Institute for Gender Equality

2005/0017(COD)

The Commission believes that the amendments adopted by the European Parliament at second reading are acceptable given that they stem from a compromise between the Council Presidency and the European Parliament's rapporteurs with the support of the Commission. According to the Commission, they represent a balanced compromise.

They concern in particular:

- the make-up of the Administration Board: a medium-sized Administration Board (18 representatives of the Member States and 1 from the Commission), without a Bureau, with the members rotating when the Presidency changes;

- a draft joint declaration on the make-up of the Administration Board which clearly indicates that the solution adopted for the Institute is not a precedent for future agencies and which specifies how the rotation system for the Council representatives works. The Administration Board will be smaller; the compromise incorporates the arrangements advocated by the Commission at first reading: a smaller Board without a Bureau, a rotation mechanism for members and an advisory/expert forum;

- the Forum of experts, which is reinstated (27 experts appointed by the Member States, 2 by the EP and 3 representatives of NGOs/social partners at European level);

- appointment of the Director: the appointment procedure is explicitly mentioned (same provision as in the EFSA regulation) and the option for the candidate to attend a hearing before the EP becomes an obligation;

- minor amendments to the article on evaluation, whereby scrutiny of the management structure's fitness to carry out the Institute's duties is introduced as one of the aspects of evaluation, and to the article concerning the revision clause.

Lastly, the rotation system and the joint declaration enable those Member States that had reservations about a medium-sized Administration Board to accept it, whilst the amendments relating to the appointment of the Director, reinstatement of the Forum and the appointment of the two experts to the forum by the EP are as requested by the European Parliament.