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having regard to Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) and Article 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

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having regard to Protocol No 1 on the role of National Parliaments in the European Union,

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having regard to Protocol No 2 on the application of the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality,

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having regard to Articles 21 and 23 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union,

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having regard to the Beijing Platform for Action,

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having regard to the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, adopted in 1979,

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having regard to Council Directive 79/7/EEC of 19 December 1978 on the progressive implementation of the principle of equal treatment for men and women in matters of social security (1),

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having regard to Directive 2006/54/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 5 July 2006 on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (2),

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having regard to Directive 2010/41/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 7 July 2010 on the application of the principle of equal treatment between men and women engaged in an activity in a self-employed capacity and repealing Council Directive 86/613/EEC (3),

—

having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1303/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 laying down common provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund, the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and laying down general provisions on the European Regional Development Fund, the European Social Fund, the Cohesion Fund and the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1083/2006 (4),

—

having regard to Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 17 December 2013 on support for rural development by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Council Regulation (EC) No 1698/2005 (5),

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having regard to Article 7 of Regulation (EU) No 1305/2013 on the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development,

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having regard to its resolution of 12 March 2008 on the situation of women in rural areas of the EU (6),

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having regard to its resolution of 5 April 2011 on the role of women in agriculture and rural areas (7),

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having regard to its resolution of 8 July 2015 on the Green Employment Initiative: Tapping into the job creation potential of the green economy (8),

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having regard to its resolution of 8 September 2015 on family businesses in Europe (9),

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having regard to the recommendations issued on 17 October 2016 by the UN Committee on World Food Security on livestock production and world food security, in particular those relating to gender equality and women’s empowerment,

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having regard to its resolution of 27 October 2016 on how the CAP can improve job creation in rural areas (10),

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having regard to Rule 52 of its Rules of Procedure,

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having regard to the joint deliberations of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality under Rule 55 of the Rules of Procedure,

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having regard to the report of the Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development and the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (A8-0058/2017),

A.

whereas social and economic circumstances and living conditions have changed substantially in recent decades and differ quite considerably between the Member States as well as within them;

B.

whereas women make significant contributions to the rural economy, and whereas the diversification measures and the concept of multifunctionality, as an essential basis for sustainable development strategies, though not yet fully exploited in all areas, have opened up new opportunities for women, with the help of innovation and the creation of new concepts which make it possible to inject fresh dynamism into farming;

C.

whereas women are very often the promoters of the development of additional activities on or outside the farm beyond the scope of agricultural production, making it possible to impart real added value to activities in rural areas;

D.

whereas women living in rural areas are not a homogeneous group, given that their situation, occupations, contributions to society and ultimately their needs and interests vary significantly among and within Member States;

E.

whereas women are actively involved in agricultural activities, entrepreneurship and tourism, and play an important role in preserving cultural traditions in rural areas, which can contribute to the building and/or strengthening of regional identity;

F.

whereas equality between women and men is a core principle of the European Union and its Member States, and its promotion one of its principal objectives; whereas gender equality is a basic value of the EU recognised in the Treaties and in the Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the EU has assumed the specific task of integrating it in all its activities; whereas gender mainstreaming is an important tool in the integration of this principle into EU policies, measures and actions with a view to promoting equality between women and men, and combating discrimination in order to increase active involvement of women in the labour market, and economic and social activities; whereas this tool is also applicable to the EU Structural and Investment Funds, including the EAFRD;

G.

whereas family farming is the most common operational farming model in the EU-28 with 76,5 % of the work being carried out by the holder or members of his or her family (11) and should thus be supported and protected; whereas family farming promotes intergenerational solidarity and social and environmental responsibility, thus contributing to the sustainable development of rural areas;

H.

whereas, in a context of growing urbanisation, it is essential to maintain an active, dynamic and prosperous population in rural areas, with particular attention to areas with natural constraints, as the conservation of the environment and the landscape depend on it;

I.

whereas the ageing of the population together with the decline in farming activity and economic decline in the EU’s rural areas represent some of the main causes of depopulation and women’s abandonment of rural areas, which has an adverse impact not only on the labour market but also on the social infrastructure; whereas this situation can only be halted if the European institutions and governments take all possible steps to ensure greater recognition of their work and rights and provide rural areas with the necessary services that make work-life balance possible;

J.

whereas rural tourism, which includes the supply of goods and services in the countryside through family and cooperative enterprises, is a low-risk sector, generates employment, makes it possible to combine personal and family life with work and encourages the rural population, especially women, to remain in the countryside;

K.

whereas the economic crisis has affected the European Union and has had a severe impact on many rural areas and regions; whereas the consequences of the crisis are still visible and young people from rural areas are facing serious levels of unemployment, poverty and depopulation that affect women in particular; whereas women directly experience the impact of the crisis in the management of their farms and homes;

L.

whereas such a situation poses a serious challenge for the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP), which should ensure the development of rural areas while enhancing their potential;

M.

whereas it is necessary to maintain a sustainable and vibrant farming sector as the fundamental economic, environmental and social basis of rural areas, which contributes to rural development, sustainable food production, biodiversity and the creation of jobs;

N.

whereas the status of smallholder and family farms as primary food producers must be improved and their farming and livestock activities maintained by promoting innovation and adequate financial resources and measures at EU level; whereas 2,4 million farms in the EU disappeared between 2005 and 2010, most of which were small or family farms, increasing unemployment in rural areas;

O.

whereas the promotion of diversification measures and the development of short supply chains, as well as promotion of producer organisations (POs), can contribute to the sector’s resilience, which faces the challenges of unfair trading practices and increasingly volatile markets;

P.

whereas it is important to support and promote the participation of women in the agri-food value chain, since their role is mainly concentrated in production and processing;

Q.

whereas access to lifelong learning, the opportunity to validate skills acquired in non-formal settings, and the opportunity to re-train and to acquire skills that can be used in a dynamically developing labour market are crucial prerequisites for increasing women’s employment in rural areas;

R.

whereas cooperatives, mutuals, social enterprises and other alternative business models have enormous potential to stimulate sustainable and inclusive economic growth and economically empower women in rural areas and in the agricultural sector;

S.

whereas the inclusion of women and girls in education and lifelong learning, particularly in areas of science, technology, engineering, and maths (STEM), as well as in entrepreneurship is necessary for achieving gender equality in the agricultural and food production sectors, as well as in tourism and other industries in rural areas;

T.

whereas women represent slightly less than 50 % of the total working-age population in the rural areas of the EU, but only about 45 % of the total economically active population; whereas many are never registered as unemployed or included in unemployment statistics and no clear figures exist on women’s involvement in farming as owners or employees;

U.

whereas in the predominantly rural areas of the EU, only 61 % of women aged 20 to 64 were employed in 2009 (12); whereas, in many Member States, women in rural areas have limited access to employment and their chances of working in farming are relatively poor, yet they still play an important role in rural development and in the social fabric of rural areas, through providing income for households or improving living conditions;

V.

whereas in 2014 women were responsible for about 35 % of total working time in agriculture, carrying out 53,8 % of part-time work and 30,8 % of full-time work, thereby making a significant contribution to agricultural production; whereas work carried out by spouses and other female family members on farms is often indispensable and constitutes nothing short of ‘invisible work’ due to a lack of professional status allowing for its recognition and for the women concerned to register with the social security services, which would prevent the possible loss of entitlements such as sick leave and maternity leave, and ensure their financial independence;

W.

whereas in some Member States, such as France, different legal statuses exist for wives who work regularly on the farm (coworker, employee or farm manager), which makes it possible for proper social protection to be extended to them to insure them against adverse eventualities in their personal life and their work;

X.

whereas on average only 30 % of farm holdings in the EU are managed by women; whereas there is a significant number of female workers in agriculture, and most women are classified as the holder’s spouse, corresponding to 80,1 % of all spouses in 2007 (13);

Y.

whereas the farm owner is the person mentioned on bank documents and for the purposes of subsidies and accumulated rights, and the person who represents the farm within associations and groups; whereas not being the owner of the farm means not having any rights related to this ownership status (rights to single payments, suckler cow premiums, vine planting rights, income, etc.) and this places women farmers in a vulnerable and disadvantaged situation;

Z.

whereas, to be able to benefit from positive aid schemes in favour of working women in agriculture, they should be recognised as owners or co-owners; whereas women’s farm ownership or co-ownership should be promoted by the European Union, which would have positive effects on their situation in the labour market, social entitlements and economic independence, thus ensuring their greater visibility (and recognition of their contribution to the economy and incomes) in rural areas and increased access to land;

AA.

whereas women in rural areas need to be made more visible in European, national and regional statistics in order to reflect their situation and the role they play;

AB.

whereas increased access for young people and women to land would improve generational renewal in farming and foster economic growth and social well-being;

AC.

whereas the provision of quality and affordable public and private services, including care for children, elderly and other dependants, including persons with disabilities, is important for all inhabitants of rural areas; whereas such services are particularly important for facilitating a work-life balance, especially for women, given that they have been involved to a greater extent in looking after young, dependent and elderly members of the family;

AD.

whereas women have a multifunctional role in rural areas and, therefore, such services would enable them to work and further develop their careers while ensuring a fair distribution of family and care responsibilities;

AE.

whereas the basis for improving the quality of life in rural areas is the availability of infrastructure such as transport links, access to high-speed broadband Internet, including mobile data services and energy provision, as well as quality social, health and educational services;

AF.

whereas rural broadband coverage continues to lag behind national coverage across the EU-28; whereas, in 2015, 98,4 % of rural households were covered by at least one broadband technology, but only 27,8 % had access to next-generation services; whereas digital infrastructure, which is not fully developed in all rural areas of the EU, can be of great help in accessing information and educational opportunities, information-sharing and the exchange of good practices between women in rural areas, and can represent a key element in the support needed to maintain the female population of those areas;

AG.

whereas education is a fundamental tool for fostering the value of equality, which should be promoted across the board, not only in schools, but also in vocational training, and especially in training focusing on the primary sector;

AH.

whereas improving general conditions in rural areas will result in achieving an improved status for women in those areas;

AI.

whereas the significant contribution that women make to local and rural development is not sufficiently reflected in their participation in the corresponding decision-making processes, given that women in rural areas are often under-represented in decision-making bodies such as agricultural cooperatives, trade unions and municipal governments; whereas increasing women’s representation in such bodies is highly important;

AJ.

whereas women in rural areas also suffer from gender pay and pension gaps, which are widening in some Member States; whereas establishing up-to-date statistics on the employment situation of women in rural areas, as well as their working and living conditions, therefore deserves greater attention;

AK.

whereas thematic sub-programmes on ‘Women in rural areas’ have not been created so far and women’s participation in the use of the instruments available under rural development programmes until 2014 was regrettably low; whereas out of 6,1 million participants in training measures, only 28 % were women; whereas only 19 % of the beneficiaries of physical investment in farm holdings for modernisation and 33 % of the beneficiaries of diversification measures were women; whereas with regard to jobs created as a result of axis 3 measures (diversification of the economy in rural areas), only 38 % of the beneficiaries were women;

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