52004PC0551

Proposition de DÉCISION DU PARLEMENT EUROPÉEN ET DU CONSEIL modifiant la décision 2001/51/CE du Conseil établissant un programme d'action communautaire concernant la stratégie communautaire en matière d'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes et la décision n° 848/2004/CE du Parlement européen et du Conseil établissant un programme d'action communautaire pour la promotion des organisations actives au niveau européen dans le domaine de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes

(présentée par la Commission)

EXPOSÉ DES MOTIFS

L'Union européenne possède une longue tradition de promotion de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, consacrée par le traité en 1957 et intégrée dans des directives et dans la jurisprudence communautaire. L'article 2 du traité reconnaît l'égalité entre les hommes et les femmes comme une mission fondamentale de la Communauté. L'article 3, paragraphe 2, dispose que, dans toutes ses actions, la Communauté cherche à éliminer les inégalités et à promouvoir l'égalité entre les hommes et les femmes. L'article 13 autorise la Communauté à prendre les mesures nécessaires en vue de combattre toute discrimination fondée sur un certain nombre de motifs, dont le sexe. Le cadre juridique communautaire garantit l'égalité des femmes et des hommes devant la loi et un large éventail d'actions ont été réalisées au niveau européen et national. Cependant, l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes dans l'UE est toujours entravée par le fait que les femmes et les hommes ne jouissent pas des mêmes droits dans la pratique; en outre la sous-représentation des femmes et les violences exercées à leur encontre montrent qu'il existe encore des discriminations structurelles fondées sur le sexe. Un soutien continu est donc nécessaire pour que l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes soit réelle dans tous les domaines de la vie.

Le programme d'action communautaire concernant la stratégie communautaire en matière d'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes (2001-2005) [1], qui est le cinquième programme d'action dans ce domaine, a été adopté par le Conseil le 20 décembre 2000 pour la période allant du 1er janvier 2001 au 31 décembre 2005 et est doté d'un budget de 50 millions d'euros. Il soutient la stratégie-cadre communautaire en matière d'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes (2001-2005), nouvelle approche qui englobe toutes les politiques communautaires dans l'effort visant à promouvoir l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, en développant les activités horizontales nécessaires et en améliorant la coordination des actions liées à la dimension de genre dans les différents domaines.

[1] JO L 17 du 19.1.2001, p. 22.

Le présent programme comprend les objectifs et les volets correspondants suivants:

(a) promouvoir et diffuser les valeurs et pratiques sur lesquelles se fonde l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes. Ce volet couvre les activités de sensibilisation visant à renforcer la dimension communautaire de la promotion de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes. Cela peut inclure des conférences, des séminaires et des campagnes au niveau transnational, des événements de grande envergure à l'échelle européenne, des publications et des sites Internet;

(b) améliorer la compréhension des questions liées à l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, y compris la discrimination directe et indirecte et la discrimination multiple à l'égard des femmes, en examinant l'efficacité des politiques et des pratiques au travers de leur analyse préalable, du suivi de leur mise en oeuvre et de l'évaluation de leur impact. Ce volet comprend, par exemple, l'assistance à l'élaboration de statistiques et d'indicateurs comparables, l'analyse au niveau communautaire de la dimension du genre dans les politiques et les mesures, le suivi de la mise en oeuvre de la législation communautaire en matière d'égalité, des études ainsi que la publication d'un rapport annuel sur l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes;

(c) développer la capacité des acteurs clés (ONG, partenaires sociaux au niveau communautaire, réseaux transnationaux d'autorités régionales ou locales) à promouvoir efficacement l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, en particulier en soutenant l'échange d'informations et de bonnes pratiques et le travail en réseau au niveau communautaire.

Pour chaque volet, les actions possibles sont exposées en détail dans l'annexe de la décision du Conseil établissant le programme. Les actions devraient être mises en oeuvre dans un cadre transnational afin de créer une valeur ajoutée au niveau communautaire. Le comité du programme a fixé les thèmes prioritaires annuels suivants pour les appels à propositions: égalité de rémunération en 2001, conciliation de la vie professionnelle et familiale en 2002, les femmes dans la prise de décision en 2003 et les rôles et les stéréotypes masculins et féminins en 2004/2005.

Ce programme contribue à intégrer la dimension du genre dans toutes les politiques, à utiliser leur potentiel pour promouvoir l'égalité hommes-femmes et à accroître la sensibilisation aux questions en jeu. Il renforce également la coopération et le partenariat entre les acteurs impliqués dans la promotion de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, et notamment les autorités nationales, les organismes chargés des questions d'égalité, les partenaires sociaux et les ONG. Une évaluation à mi-parcours a été réalisée avec l'assistance d'experts indépendants afin de fournir à la Commission des informations sur la manière de renforcer et d'améliorer encore le système d'aide communautaire à la promotion de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes.

Un autre programme d'action communautaire visant à promouvoir les organisations actives au niveau européen dans le domaine de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes a récemment été établi par le Parlement européen et le Conseil le 29 avril 2004 [2], pour la période allant du 1er janvier 2004 au 31 décembre 2005; il est doté d'un budget de 2,2 millions d'euros. La présente décision met la pratique - implantée depuis longtemps, qui consiste à soutenir les organisations oeuvrant à la promotion de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes - sur le même plan qu'un instrument juridique de base.

[2] JO L 157 du 30.4.2004, p. 18.

Ces deux programmes s'achèvent simultanément, à une période de grands changements pour la construction et le fonctionnement d'une Union européenne élargie en général, qui requiert une profonde réflexion sur l'approche future à adopter dans la mise en oeuvre de l'agenda de la politique sociale, en particulier en ce qui concerne la structure des programmes d'action communautaire dans le secteur de l'emploi et le secteur social. Il existe actuellement cinq programmes de ce type qui sont mis en oeuvre de manière identique et soutiennent des types de mesures comparables. Outre les deux programmes en matière d'égalité, deux programmes d'action viennent à l'appui de la méthode ouverte de coordination dans le domaine de l'emploi (mesures d'incitation à l'emploi) et de l'intégration sociale (programme d'action en faveur de l'intégration sociale) et un programme est consacré à la lutte contre la discrimination. A la seule exception des programmes relatifs à l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, tous les autres programmes arriveront à expiration à la fin de 2006.

La proposition de décision du Parlement européen et du Conseil relative à un programme-cadre pour le financement d'actions dans le domaine social et le domaine de l'emploi couvrira la même période que les nouvelles perspectives financières, à savoir 2007-2013 [3]. La Commission a analysé en détail l'avenir de la mise en oeuvre de l'agenda pour la politique sociale, ainsi que les objectifs et le fonctionnement des programmes d'action communautaire et les liens entre eux. La nouvelle proposition pour la période 2007-2013 vise à simplifier la structure du budget en fusionnant les actuels programmes d'action communautaire en un vaste programme-cadre qui fournira les mêmes types d'actions cofinancées, à savoir des analyses et des études, un soutien aux mécanismes d'échange européens, une sensibilisation et une aide aux organisations de la société civile. Le volet du programme-cadre proposé pour la période 2007-2013, consacré à l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, s'inspirera de l'expérience antérieure et continuera à soutenir financièrement l'élaboration et la mise en oeuvre de la législation communautaire dans le domaine de l'égalité hommes-femmes et de la promotion de l'intégration de la dimension du genre dans les politiques de l'Union européenne. Il couvrira également le soutien aux réseaux européens de coordination actifs dans le domaine de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes.

[3] COM (2004) 488 final.

Pour la période transitoire jusqu'à l'adoption d'un nouveau programme-cadre conforme aux orientations ci-dessus, il est essentiel d'assurer la continuité de l'assistance communautaire à la promotion de l'égalité hommes-femmes et d'éviter toute perturbation du mécanisme actuellement en place pour soutenir les objectifs définis à l'article 13 du traité CE. Les principes et les objectifs, de même que les domaines d'intervention de la stratégie-cadre de la Communauté en matière d'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, qui coïncident avec ceux arrêtés dans la décision 2001/51/CE et dans son annexe, restent entièrement valables pour cette année de transition.

Dans ces circonstances, la Commission européenne propose une prolongation à l'identique jusqu'en 2006 des deux programmes dans le domaine de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes.

La Commission propose donc:

- de prolonger tant le programme concernant la stratégie-cadre communautaire en matière d'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes (2001-2005) que le programme d'action communautaire pour la promotion des organisations actives au niveau européen dans le domaine de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes jusqu'à la fin de l'année 2006;

- de porter le budget global alloué au programme concernant la stratégie-cadre communautaire en matière d'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes (2001-2005), tel que prolongé, à 61,5 millions; et

- de porter le budget global alloué au programme d'action communautaire pour la promotion des organisations actives au niveau européen dans le domaine de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, tel que prolongé, à 3,3 millions d'euros.

2004/0194 (COD)

Proposition de DÉCISION DU PARLEMENT EUROPÉEN ET DU CONSEIL modifiant la décision 2001/51/CE du Conseil établissant un programme d'action communautaire concernant la stratégie communautaire en matière d'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes et la décision n° 848/2004/CE du Parlement européen et du Conseil établissant un programme d'action communautaire pour la promotion des organisations actives au niveau européen dans le domaine de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes

LE PARLEMENT EUROPÉEN ET LE CONSEIL DE L'UNION EUROPÉENNE,

vu le traité instituant la Communauté européenne, et notamment son article 13, paragraphe 2,

vu la proposition de la Commission [4],

[4] JO C du , p. .

vu l'avis du Comité économique et social européen [5],

[5] JO C du , p. .

vu l'avis du Comité des régions [6],

[6] JO C du , p. .

statuant conformément à la procédure visée à l'article 251 du traité [7],

[7] JO C du , p. .

considérant ce qui suit:

(1) Le Conseil, par la décision 2001/51/CE, a établi un programme d'action communautaire concernant la stratégie communautaire en matière d'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes afin d'améliorer la compréhension des questions liées à l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, de promouvoir et diffuser les valeurs et les pratiques sur lesquelles se fonde l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes et de développer la capacité des acteurs à promouvoir efficacement l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes.

(2) Le Parlement européen et le Conseil, par la décision n° 848/2004/CE, ont établi un programme d'action communautaire pour la promotion des organisations actives au niveau européen dans le domaine de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes afin de soutenir les activités de ces organisations, dont le programme de travail permanent ou une action ponctuelle poursuit un but d'intérêt général européen dans le domaine de l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, ou un objectif qui s'inscrit dans le cadre de la politique de l'Union européenne en la matière.

(3) Ces deux programmes expirent le 31 décembre 2005. Il est capital d'assurer la continuité de la politique communautaire en faveur de la promotion de l'égalité entre les hommes et les femmes en vue des objectifs consacrés à l'article 13 du traité.

(4) Il est nécessaire de prolonger les programmes pour une période transitoire d'un an jusqu'à ce que soit établi un nouveau programme-cadre pluriannuel sur le financement des actions dans le domaine de l'emploi et le domaine social pour la période 2007-2013, comportant un volet sur l'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes.

(5) La décision 2001/51/CE du Conseil établissant un programme d'action communautaire concernant la stratégie communautaire en matière d'égalité entre les femmes et les hommes se fonde sur l'article 13 du traité. Toutefois, à la suite des modifications introduites par le traité de Nice, l'article 13, paragraphe 2, constitue la base juridique spécifique pour l'adoption des mesures d'incitation communautaires destinées à contribuer à la lutte contre la discrimination. Il convient donc de fonder la modification de la décision 2001/51/CE sur l'article 13, paragraphe 2.

ONT ARRÊTÉ LA PRÉSENTE DÉCISION:

Article premier

La décision 2001/51/CE est modifiée comme suit:

1. À l'article premier, la date du 31 décembre 2005 est remplacée par celle du 31 décembre 2006.

2. À l'article 11, paragraphe 1, le montant de référence financière de 50 millions d'euros est remplacé par 61,5 millions d'euros.

Article 2

La décision n° 848/2004/CE est modifiée comme suit:

1. À l'article premier, paragraphe 3, la date du 31 décembre 2005 est remplacée par celle du 31 décembre 2006.

2. À l'article 6, paragraphe 1, le montant de 2,2 millions d'euros fixé pour l'enveloppe financière est remplacé par le montant de 3,3 millions d'euros.

Article 3

La présente décision entre en vigueur à la date de sa publication au Journal officiel de l'Union européenne.

Article 4

Les États membres sont destinataires de la présente décision.

Fait à Bruxelles, le

Par le Parlement européen Par le Conseil

Le Président Le Président

LEGISLATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT

Policy area(s): Employment and Social Affairs - Equality for men and women

Activit(y/ies): Support for the promotion of gender equality

Title of action:

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

amending Council Decision 2001/51/EC establishing a Programme relating to the Community framework strategy on gender equality and Decision No 848/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Community action programme to promote organisations active at European level in the field of equality between men and women

Amendment to Council Decision 2001/51/EC

1. BUDGET LINE(S) + HEADING(S)

Articles 04.0502 and 04.010405

2. OVERALL FIGURES

2.1. Total allocation for action (Part B): EUR million for commitment

EUR 11.5 million for commitment

This amount represents the budgetary impact of the proposal to extend the programme, which is due to end on 31 December 2005, for the additional year concerned, 2006. It is roughly equivalent to the budget for the year 2005.

2.2. Period of application:

1 January 2006-31 December 2006

2.3. Overall multiannual estimate of expenditure:

(a) Schedule of commitment appropriations/payment appropriations (financial intervention) (see point 6.1.1)

EUR million (to three decimal places)

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

(b) Technical and administrative assistance and support expenditure(see point 6.1.2)

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

(c) Overall financial impact of human resources and other administrative expenditure

(see points 7.2 and 7.3)

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

2.4. Compatibility with financial programming and financial perspective:

X Proposal is compatible with existing financial programming.

Proposal will entail reprogramming of the relevant heading in the financial perspective.

Proposal may require application of the provisions of the Interinstitutional Agreement.

2.5. Financial impact on revenue: [8]

[8] For further information, see separate explanatory note.

X Proposal has no financial implications (involves technical aspects regarding implementation of a measure)

OR

Proposal has financial impact - the effect on revenue is as follows:

(NB All details and observations relating to the method of calculating the effect on revenue should be shown in a separate annex.)

(EUR million to one decimal place)

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

(Please specify each budget line involved, adding the appropriate number of rows to the table if there is an effect on more than one budget line.)

3. BUDGET CHARACTERISTICS

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

4. LEGAL BASIS

Article 13 (2) EC Treaty

5. DESCRIPTION AND GROUNDS

5.1. Need for Community intervention

5.1.1. Objectives pursued

The objective of the prolongation is to ensure the continuation of the Community Action Programme on gender equality during the year 2006. The present programme will expire on 31 December 2005. The prolongation is deemed necessary to guarantee continuity of Community action in a transitional period characterised by important institutional changes until the adoption of a new comprehensive multiannual Framework Programme on the financing of actions in the employment and social field, including gender equality.

The objective of the Decision remains unchanged: to support and supplement efforts to promote gender equality including complementing legislative developments by:

- promoting and disseminating the values and practices underlying gender equality;

- improving the understanding of issues related to direct and indirect gender discrimination based on sex through improved knowledge and measurement and through the evaluation of the effectiveness of policies and practices; and

- developing the capacity of target players to promote gender equality.

5.1.2. Measures taken in connection with ex ante evaluation

This programme is the prolongation of the 5th Programme relating to the Community framework strategy on gender equality (2001-2005). An external ongoing evaluation started at the beginning of 2003 and will end in December 2006. The executive summary of the interim evaluation will be available on .

The Commission has drawn up an interim evaluation report based on the external evaluation available that will be made public soon. As explained in the interim evaluation report, the Action Programme has been designed to support the implementation of the Framework Strategy on gender equality with three main objectives, raising awareness, improving analysis and evaluation and developing capacity of players to promote gender equality. Results from the first three years show that the funded activities meet the objectives. Furthermore activities designed to raise awareness will in the process build up capacity - and vice versa - and both kinds of action either rely on or can be expected to promote policy analysis. This makes the classification of the eligible activities into the three strands somewhat artificial, as noted by the external evaluators.

The programme has an important role to play in supporting policy cooperation at European level. The broad formulation of the main objectives of each strand allows the funding of a wide range of projects with different durations, types of users and objectives to respond to the variety of objectives defined in the Framework Strategy on gender equality. Valuable direct contributions have been made by activities funded under strand 2 (such as expert networks and statistical work) and strand 1 (such as the Council Presidency and the Commission's conferences). The transnational projects run by national authorities have contributed to reinforcing synergy between national policies on gender equality.

On the other hand, the contribution of transnational projects subsidised under strand 3 is less apparent. Many projects deal with the development of methods and tools for which it is still too early to assess their impact. This will require further investigation in the course of the external evaluation.

5.1.3. Measures taken following evaluation

In the light of the preliminary findings of the interim evaluation, the Commission intends to develop more systematic information on the outputs of the Programme and its various activities. It is important to improve the synergy between the three strands by encouraging the flow of information and knowledge between the various activities.

For this purpose a regularly updated Commission website should be the major source of information and this message should be clearly passed to all project promoters. The comparable statistics developed by EUROSTAT in cooperation with the Member States, the studies conducted by the expert networks, the Commission's assessment of National Action Plans for Employment and social inclusion are all accessible from the Commission website. European conferences are also an opportunity to make the Programme's outputs better known.

Finally, it should be borne in mind that the fundamental raison d'être of such a Programme is its European added value. The Programme has to contribute to the development and the implementation of EU law concerning gender equality and to the promotion of the gender dimension in EU policies. This should be further analysed in the course of the external evaluation. In the context of the enlarged European Union, the Commission will pay attention to keeping all activities funded by the Programme in line with this fundamental requirement.

5.2. Action envisaged and budget intervention arrangements

In the context of the Amsterdam Treaty, gender mainstreaming has been firmly anchored in Article 3. In parallel to gender mainstreaming, specific actions in favour of women have proved to be essential in order to eliminate persistent inequalities.

Three sub-objectives have been identified to which correspond three major strands for actions under this Programme which run concurrently:

- promoting and disseminating values and practices underlying gender equality;

- improving the understanding of issues related to direct and indirect discrimination based on sex through improved knowledge and measurement and through the evaluation of the effectiveness of policies and practices;

- developing the capacity of target players to promote gender equality.

The Programme will work with a variety of target players selected from among policymakers in national, regional and local administrations, independent bodies responsible for the promotion of gender equality, non-governmental organisations, social partners, research institutes, the media, opinion-formers, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies.

The lessons of past programmes suggest that maximum added-value is obtained when programmes concentrate on a limited number of high-quality, large-scale coordinated activities where the emphasis is on supporting Member States' efforts to promote change at national, regional and local levels. This involves Member States' governments, local and regional authorities, social partners, grass-root NGOs, independent experts and academics.

The three strands will continue to operate as in the first five years as follows:

* Awareness-raising (Strand 1)

This strand aims at disseminating the lessons of the Programme and adding to the momentum needed for the acceptance of change in society. It will contribute to creating the political conditions necessary for legislative or other developments.

With the aim of supporting and improving the synergy between national policies on gender equality and also to develop a Community added value, this strand will support the implementation of initiatives, to be developed by the Member States authorities, on particular topics approved annually, after discussion with the Programme Committee.

It includes classical information and communication tools and targeted visibility/awareness-raising events or campaigns.

* Analysis and evaluation (Strand 2)

This strand aims at developing and improving various tools for collecting information, putting it into a useable and comparable form and ensuring its dissemination to the target players in the Member States. This will build on work carried out during the previous equality programmes.

The Programme should assist players in the different Member States to learn from the experience of others, with the objective of improving the effectiveness of their efforts to promote gender equality. Information about what is happening in the Member States needs therefore to be made available in a form which is readily accessible and which will be used by the players.

* Capacity building (Strand 3)

This strand aims at adding value to the capacity of players to address gender equality effectively. This is achieved by disseminating to these players good practices and lessons from experience and involving them in a process of transnational exchange and dialogue at EU level.

Past experience related to the grounds for combating gender discrimination has underlined the importance of working in partnership with target players in the Member States and with organisations working in the field of gender equality. Previous Community action in the field of equal opportunities between women and men and initiatives in the fields of disability and social inclusion have shown the value of bringing players together in transnational partnerships which can form the basis for the exchange of good practice.

5.3. Methods of implementation

The delivery mechanisms stipulated in the proposal are in keeping with to the classic Community approach to grants and co-funding on the basis of a detailed financial request. The actions to be taken may be funded by service contracts following open calls for tender or restricted calls for proposals addressed to the Member States or by subsidies for joint financing with other sources. In the latter case, the level of financial assistance from the Commission may not exceed, as a general rule, 80% of the expenditure actually incurred by the recipient. The Programme is managed centrally by the Commission.

The programme budget may also cover expenditure associated with preparation, follow-up, monitoring, auditing and evaluation activities directly necessary for the management of the programme and for the realisation of its objectives, such as studies, meetings, information and publication activities, expenditure associated with IT networks for the exchange of information and any other administrative and technical support expenditure on which the Commission may decide for the management of the programme.

6. FINANCIAL IMPACT

6.1. Total financial impact on Part B (over the entire programming period)

(The method of calculating the total amounts set out in the table below must be explained by the breakdown in Table 6.2. )

6.1.1. Financial intervention

Commitments (in EUR million to three decimal places)

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

6.1.2. Technical and administrative assistance, support expenditure and IT expenditure (commitment appropriations)

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

6.2. Calculation of costs by measure envisaged in Part B (over the entire programming period) [9]

[9] For further information, see separate explanatory note.

(Where there is more than one action, give sufficient detail of the specific measures to be taken for each one to allow the volume and costs of the outputs to be estimated.)

Commitments (in EUR million to three decimal places)

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

If necessary explain the method of calculation

7. IMPACT ON STAFF AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURE

7.1. Impact on human resources

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

7.2. Overall financial impact of human resources

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

The amounts are total expenditure for twelve months.

7.3. Other administrative expenditure deriving from the action

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

The amounts are total expenditure for twelve months.

I. Annual total (7.2 + 7.3) EUR // 1.636.240

II. Duration of action // 1 year

III. Total cost of action (I x II) // EUR 1.636.240

The needs for human and administrative resources shall be covered within the allocation granted to the managing Directorate General in the framework of the annual allocation procedure.

8. FOLLOW-UP AND EVALUATION

8.1. Follow-up arrangements

The prolongation will continue to be implemented along the same lines as the Programme in its first five years. Implementation will involve participation in selection panels of calls for proposals, monitoring of ongoing contracts and financial control of all transactions between the Commission and the beneficiaries.

8.2. Arrangements and schedule for the planned evaluation

The Programme will be monitored throughout its operation. The Programme Committee will receive regular information prepared by the Commission. The monitoring will be adapted according to the needs of each of the strands and will include aspects of both quality assurance and financial regularity.

In addition, the Programme is subject to an interim report on its implementation which is currently in the process of adoption / has been adopted by the Commission on ... [10]. The ongoing evaluation will continue to provide the Commission with regular evaluation findings until the final report on the implementation of the Framework Strategy and this Programme which will be drawn up by 31 December 2006. The Commission was and will be assisted by external evaluators for both reports.

[10] SEC (2004) ... (to be inserted)..

9. ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES

All the measures funded are subject to ex ante, in itinere and ex post analysis by the responsible departments as regards content quality and cost-effectiveness. The grant application forms will require information on the identity and nature of potential beneficiaries so that their reliability can be assessed in advance. Fraud prevention measures (checks, reports) are included in the agreements or contracts between the Commission and beneficiaries. The Commission will check reports and ensure that work has been properly carried out before intermediate and/or final payments are made. Special attention will be made in order to avoid double funding. In addition, controls by the Commission or the Court of Auditors of the European Communities may be carried out on the basis of documents or on the spot.

LEGISLATIVE FINANCIAL STATEMENT

Policy area(s): Employment and Social Affairs - Equality for men and women

Activit(y/ies): Support for the promotion of gender equality

Title of action:

DECISION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL

amending Council Decision 2001/51/EC establishing a Programme relating to the Community framework strategy on gender equality and Decision No 848/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council establishing a Community action programme to promote organisations active at European level in the field of equality between men and women

Amendment to Council Decision No 848/2004/EC

1. BUDGET LINE(S) + HEADING(S)

A-3037 (No ABB 040503) and A-3046 (No ABB 040501)

2. OVERALL FIGURES

2.1. Total allocation for action (Part B): EUR million for commitment:

1.1 EUR million for commitment

This amount represents the budgetary impact of the proposal to extend the programme, which is due to end on 31 December 2005, for the additional year concerned, 2006. It is roughly equivalent to the budgets for the years 2004 and 2005.

2.2. Period of application:

1 January 2006-31 December 2006

2.3. Overall multiannual estimate of expenditure:

(a) Schedule of commitment appropriations/payment appropriations (financial intervention) (see point 6.1.1)

EUR million (to three decimal places)

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

(b) Technical and administrative assistance and support expenditure(see point 6.1.2)

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

(c) Overall financial impact of human resources and other administrative expenditure

(see points 7.2 and 7.3)

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

2.4. Compatibility with financial programming and financial perspective

X Proposal is compatible with existing financial programming.

Proposal will entail reprogramming of the relevant heading in the financial perspective.

Proposal may require application of the provisions of the Interinstitutional Agreement.

2.5. Financial impact on revenue: [11]

[11] For further information, see separate explanatory note.

X Proposal has no financial implications (involves technical aspects regarding implementation of a measure)

OR

Proposal has financial impact - the effect on revenue is as follows:

(NB All details and observations relating to the method of calculating the effect on revenue should be shown in a separate annex.)

(EUR million to one decimal place)

>EMPLACEMENT TABLE>

(Please specify each budget line involved, adding the appropriate number of rows to the table if there is an effect on more than one budget line.)

3. BUDGET CHARACTERISTICS

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4. LEGAL BASIS

Article 13(2) EC Treaty

5. DESCRIPTION AND GROUNDS

5.1. Need for Community intervention

5.1.1. Objectives pursued

The objective of the prolongation is to ensure the continuation of the Community Action Programme to promote organisations active at European level in the field of equality between women and men. The present programme will expire on 31 December 2005. The prolongation is deemed necessary to guarantee continuity of Community action in a transitional period characterised by important institutional changes (enlargement of the Union, a new European Parliament and a new Commission) until the adoption of a new comprehensive multiannual Framework Programme on the financing of actions in the employment and social field including gender equality.

The objective of the Decision remains unchanged: to support the activities of organisations active at European level in the field of equality for women and men, of which an ongoing programme of work or a specific action serves the general European interest the field of equality for women and men or pursues an objective which is part of the European Union's policy in this area.

5.1.2. Measures taken in connection with ex ante evaluation

The Programme which it is proposed to extend is a new one aimed at providing a legal basis for awarding grants to organisations active at European level in the field of equality for men and women for the years 2004 and 2005. Its adoption was made necessary by the new structure of the Commission's budget under the new Financial Regulation with effect from 2004.

5.1.3. Measures taken following ex post evaluation

The activities of the European Women's Lobby have in the past been subject to several annual evaluations by the Commission's departments. In addition, an audit report was drawn up in 1999 at the European Parliament's request. These results have shown that the Lobby's activities have an effective, significant impact, in particular by informing women of their rights, and that it has a substantial influence on policymakers at European, national, regional and local level with regard to the promotion of gender equality.

A report presenting the results obtained by the beneficiaries is scheduled for December 2006, in particular with a view to assessing its effectiveness as regards the achievement of its objectives.

5.2. Action envisaged and budget intervention arrangements

In the context of the Amsterdam Treaty, gender mainstreaming has been firmly anchored in Article 3. In parallel to gender mainstreaming, specific actions in favour of women have proved to be essential in order to eliminate persistent inequalities. The activities of certain organisations help to promote gender equality. The European Women's Lobby in particular, which is present in almost all Member States and has over 3000 members, plays a major role in promoting, monitoring and disseminating Community measures aimed at women with a view to achieving equality between women and men.

The general objective of the Programme is to reinforce Community action in the field of equality between men and women and the effectiveness of such action by offering financial support to organisations active at European level in the field of equality between women and men, including the European Women's Lobby.

The activities carried out by organisations which are eligible to receive a Community grant under the Programme will come under one of the following strands:

Strand 1: ongoing activities of the European Women's Lobby, whose members are, inter alia, women's organisations in the Member States of the European Union, subject to observance of the following principles:

- it must be free to select its members,

- it must be free to pursue its activities.

Strand 2: ongoing activities of an organisation pursuing an objective of general European interest in the field of gender equality or an objective forming part of the European Union's policy in this area. This applies to a non-profit-making body carrying out its activities exclusively in order to achieve equality between women and men or an organisation with a wider aim which carries out part of its activities exclusively to promote equality between women and men. An annual operating grant may be awarded to support the implementation of such an organisation's ongoing programme of work.

Strand 3: specific actions of an organisation pursuing an objective of general European interest in the field of equality between women and men or an objective forming part of the European Union's policy in this area.

5.3. Methods of implementation

The delivery mechanisms stipulated in the proposal are in keeping with the classic Community approach to grants and co-funding on the basis of a detailed financial request. The actions to be taken may be funded by subsidies for joint financing with other sources. In this case, the level of financial assistance from the Commission may not exceed, as a general rule, 80% of the expenditure actually incurred by the recipient. The Programme is managed centrally by the Commission

6. FINANCIAL IMPACT

6.1. Total financial impact on Part B (over the entire programming period)

(The method of calculating the total amounts set out in the table below must be explained by the breakdown in Table 6.2. )

6.1.1. Financial intervention

Commitments (in EUR million to three decimal places)

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6.1.2. Technical and administrative assistance, support expenditure and IT expenditure (commitment appropriations)

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6.2. Calculation of costs by measure envisaged in Part B (over the entire programming period) [12]

[12] For further information, see separate explanatory note.

(Where there is more than one action, give sufficient detail of the specific measures to be taken for each one to allow the volume and costs of the outputs to be estimated.)

Commitments (in EUR million to three decimal places)

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If necessary, explain the method of calculation

7. IMPACT ON STAFF AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENDITURE

7.1. Impact on human resources

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* Existing resources

7.2. Overall financial impact of human resources

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The amounts are total expenditure for twelve months.

7.3. Other administrative expenditure deriving from the action

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The amounts are total expenditure for twelve months.

1 Specify the type of committee and the group to which it belongs.

I. Annual total (7.2 + 7.3) // EUR 36.000

II. Duration of action // 1 year

III. Total cost of action (I x II) // EUR 36.000

The needs for human and administrative resources shall be covered within the allocation granted to the managing Directorate General in the framework of the annual allocation procedure.

8. FOLLOW-UP AND EVALUATION

8.1. Follow-up arrangements

The prolongation will continue to be implemented along the same lines as the Programme in its first two years. Implementation will involve participation in selection panels of calls for proposals, monitoring of ongoing contracts and financial control of all transactions between the Commission and the beneficiaries.

8.2. Arrangements and schedule for the planned evaluation

Given that this Programme is designed to promote gender equality, the functions of monitoring and evaluation naturally form part of the activities implemented, in such a way as to derive maximum benefit from them.

The Programme is subject to the submission of a report by the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council on the achievement of its objectives. This report shall be based on the results obtained by the beneficiaries and shall assess, in particular, their effectiveness in achieving the said objectives.

9. ANTI-FRAUD MEASURES

All the measures funded are subject to ex ante, in itinere and ex post analysis by the responsible departments as regards content quality and cost-effectiveness. The grant application forms will require information on the identity and nature of potential beneficiaries so that their reliability can be assessed in advance. Fraud prevention measures (checks, reports) are included in the agreements or contracts between the Commission and beneficiaries. The Commission will check reports and ensure that work has been properly carried out before intermediate and/or final payments are made. Special attention will be made in order to avoid double funding. In addition, controls by the Commission or the Court of Auditors of the European Communities may be carried out on the basis of documents or on the spot.