‘STATEMENT BY THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND THE COMMISSION

Equality between men and women is a fundamental principle of the European Union. The Council, European Parliament and the European Commission aim to increase the awareness, the pooling of resources and the exchange of experience in the area of gender equality, in particular through the establishment of a European Institute for Gender Equality.

With regard to the organisation of the Institute, the Council, the European Parliament and the Commission state that the management structure, and in particular the number of representatives of the Member States on the Management Board, is determined by reference to the specific nature of the European Institute for Gender Equality and does not therefore constitute a precedent for other agencies in the future.

In order to ensure an orderly rotation of the members appointed by the Council, the Member States shall be divided into three groups of nine in the order of the forthcoming Presidencies. For the first term of office, the Council representatives shall be composed of members drawn from the first two groups of Member States; for the second term of office, the Council representatives shall be drawn from the third and first groups and for the third term of office from the second and third groups, and so on for subsequent terms of office (1). In the event of any future enlargement the rotation system will be adjusted accordingly.’