Karamanou (PSE). – (EL) Mr President, Mr President of
the Commission, Commissioners, the Committee on Women's Rights and Equal
Opportunities, which I have the honour of chairing, welcomes the Commission's
initiative to introduce a more compact and integrated political planning
procedure.
The Committee on
Women's Rights had an opportunity for constructive dialogue with two Commissioners,
Mrs Anna Diamantopoulou and Mr Antonio Vitorino. We had a most productive
discussion, during which our opinions and positions converged on numerous
points. In the light of that positive experience, I was surprised – and I
wondered why – I was unable to find a single word on gender equality in the
Commission programme for 2003. Mrs Diamantopoulou assured us at a meeting with
our committee at the beginning of October that gender equality policy was a
Commission priority and we have heard nothing to make us think otherwise. As
you know, the Committee on Women's Rights has the exclusive privilege of being
invited once a year to a one-day meeting with the President of the Commission,
Mr Prodi, and ten Commissioners, in order to discuss the specific issue of
gender equality.
2003 is an
important year for the Committee on Women's Rights. The top priority is the
Convention on the future of Europe and we have invested a great deal of time
and effort in order to ensure that the new Treaty promotes gender equality.
Secondly, we need the acquis communautaire on women to be applied, not
just adopted by the candidate countries. Ôhirdly, there is the question of gender mainstreaming
and, of course, we still have a great deal to do to put our own house in order
here. In all events, I welcome the initiative to put the Commission's annual
progress report on sexual equality on the agenda for the spring summit under
the Greek presidency.
Another important
priority is to ensure there is a balanced representation of the sexes at the
2004 European Parliament elections. The European Parliament and the Commission
should set a standard for the other institutions. Finally, I am worried and
concerned about the fact that the proposal for a new directive on combating
sexual discrimination on the basis of Article 13 of the Treaty keeps being
postponed. Have we any news on this?