Activities of Antigoni PAPADOPOULOU related to 2012/0299(COD)
Plenary speeches (1)
Gender balance among non-executive directors of companies listed on stock exchanges (debate)
Amendments (6)
Amendment 29 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 5
Recital 5
(5) In the European Pact for Gender Equality 2011-2020, which was adopted on 7 March 2011, the Council acknowledged that gender equality policies are vital to economic growth, prosperity and competitiveness, reaffirmed its commitment to close the gender gaps with a view to meeting the objectives of the Europe 2020 Strategy, especially in three areas of great relevance to gender equality, namely employment, education and social inclusion, and urged action to promote the equal participation of women and men in decision-making at all levels and in all fields, in order to make full use of all available talent, knowledge and ideas, thus enriching diversity of human resources and improving business perspectives.
Amendment 30 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 6
Recital 6
(6) The European Parliament, in its resolution on women and business leadership of 6 July 201127 , urged companies to attain the critical threshold of 30 per cent female membership of management bodies by 2015 and 40 per cent by 2020. It called on the Commission, if the steps taken by companies and the Member States were found to be inadequate, to propose legislation by 2012, including quotas, temporarily implemented, to serve as catalysts of change and of rapid reforms against persisting gender inequalities and stereotypes in economic decision making. The European Parliament reiterated that call for legislation in its resolution of 13 March 2012 on equality between women and men in the European Union – 2011.
Amendment 55 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 10
Recital 10
(10) Despite the existing Union legislation aimed at preventing and combating sex discrimination, the Council recommendations aimed specifically at increasing the presence of women in economic decision-making and Union- level actions encouraging self-regulation, women continue to be strongly outnumbered by men in the highest decision-making bodies of companies throughout the Union. In the private sector and especially in listed companies this gender imbalance is particularly significant and acute. The Commission's key indicator of gender representation on corporate boards shows that the proportion of women involved in top-level business decision- making remains very low. In January 2012, women occupied on average just 13.7 per cent of board seats in the largest publicly listed companies in Member States. Among non-executive directors only 15 per cent were women, which is a clear indication of a democratic deficit and of unfair and discriminatory representation of women, in violation of EU principles for equal opportunities and equal treatment of both sexes in the fields of employment and occupation..
Amendment 72 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 15
Recital 15
(15) The Europe 2020 Strategy for Smart, Sustainable and Inclusive Growth29 ascertained that increased female labour force participation is a precondition for boosting growth and for tackling demographic challenges in Europe. The Strategy set a headline target of reaching an employment rate of 75 per cent for women and men aged 20-64 by 2020, which can only be reached if there is a clear commitment to gender equality, elimination of the persisting gender pay gap and a reinforced effort to tackle all barriers to women's participation in the labour market, including the existing "glass-ceiling" phenomenon. The current economic crisis has magnified Europe's ever-growing need to rely on knowledge, competence and innovation and to make full use of the pool of available talent, of both men and women. Enhancing female participation in economic decision-making, on company boards in particular, is expected to have a positive spill-over effect on female employment in the companies concerned and throughout the whole economy.
Amendment 162 #
Proposal for a directive
Recital 37
Recital 37
(37) While some Member States have taken regulatory action or encouraged self- regulation with mixed results, the majority of Member States have not taken action or indicated their willingness to act in a way that would bring about sufficient improvement. Projections based on a comprehensive analysis of all available information on past and current trends as well as intentions show that a balanced gender representation among non- executive board members across the Union in line with the objectives set out in this Directive will not be achieved by Member States acting individually at any point in the foreseeable future. In the light of those circumstances and given the growing discrepancies between Member States in terms of the representation of women and men on company boards, the gender balance on corporate boards across the Union can only be improved through a common approach, and the potential for gender equality, closing the existing gender pay gap and improvement of competitiveness and growth can be better achieved through coordinated action at Union level rather than through national initiatives of varying scope, ambition and effectiveness. Since the objectives of this Directive cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can, therefore, by reason of the scale and effect of action, be better achieved at Union level, the Union may adopt measures in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out in Article 5 of the Treaty on European Union.
Amendment 294 #
Proposal for a directive
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Article 7 – paragraph 1
Member States may introduce or maintain provisions which are more favourable than those laid down in this Directive to ensure a more balanced representation of men and women in respect of companies incorporated in their national territory, provided those provisions do not create unjustified gender or any other form of discrimination, nor hinder the proper functioning of the internal market.