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Gender balance within the committees and expert groups set up by the Commission
1) OBJECTIVE
To achieve equal representation of women and men in the expert groups and committees set up by the Commission.
2) ACT
Commission Decision 2000/407/EC of 19 June 2000 relating to gender balance within the committees and expert groups established by it [Official Journal L 154 of 27.06.2000].
3) SUMMARY
Equality between women and men is essential to human dignity and democracy. It constitutes a fundamental principle of Community law, of the constitutions and laws of the Members States, and of international and European conventions. The European Union (EU) has committed itself to an active policy of gender mainstreaming for women and men in all Community activities and policies. The Community framework strategy on gender equality (2001-2005), adopted in June 2000, reaffirms this commitment and the EU's intention to reduce and ultimately eliminate inequalities between the sexes.
At the United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing 1995), the European Community committed itself to promoting women in decision-making. However, despite the Council Recommendation of 2 December 1996 on the balanced participation of women and men in the decision-making process, women are still under-represented in decision-making bodies, including those established by the Commission.
For this reason, the Commission commits itself in this Decision to creating a gender balance in expert groups and committees established by it. The aim in the medium term is to ensure that there are at least 40% of members of each sex in every expert group and committee.
For expert groups and committees already in existence, the Commission will aim to redress the gender balance upon each replacement of a member and when the term of a member of an expert group or committee comes to an end.
Three years after the adoption of the present Decision the Commission shall review its implementation and publish a report, which shall include statistical analysis of the gender balance in expert groups and committees. Depending on the results of this review the Commission shall, at that time, take whatever action is appropriate.
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Act |
Dateof entry into force |
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Decision 2000/407/EC |
27.06.2000 |
4) implementing measures
5) follow-up work
Annual Commission Report of 5 March 2003 on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men in the European Union 2002 [COM(2003) 98 final - Not published in the Official Journal];
Annual Commission Report of 28 May 2002 on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men in the European Union 2001 [COM(2002) 258 final - Not published in the Official Journal];
Annual Commission Report of 2 April 2001 on Equal Opportunities for Women and Men in the European Union 2000 [COM(2001) 179 final - Not published in the Official Journal];
Council Decision 2001/51/EC of 20 December 2000 establishing a Programme relating to the Community framework strategy on gender equality (2001-2005) [Official Journal L17 of 19.01.2001];
Communication from the Commission of 7 July 2000 on the Commission Decision relating to a gender balance within the committees and expert groups established by it [Official Journal C 203 of 18.07.2000];
Communication from the Commission of 7 June 2000 - "Towards a community framework strategy on gender equality" [COM(2000) 335 final - Not published in the Official Journal].
Last updated: 28.06.2006