Activites

• 2004/04/30 Final act published in Official Journal
  • Regulation 2004/806
  • OJ L 143 30.04.2004, p. 0040-0045
• 2004/04/21 Final act signed
• 2004/04/21 End of procedure in Parliament
• 2004/03/30 Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading
  • T5-0215/2004 summary

    The European Parliament adopted a resolution drafted by Olga ZRIHEN ZAARI (PES, B) approving the common position. Parliament is of the opinion that aid should be given primarily to non-governmental organisations, local communities and women's' organisations working on the spot who best know the situation and needs of local people. For the period 2004-2006 an amount of EUR 9 million has been allocated (as proposed by the Commission therefore the increase of EUR 2 million was rejected). In order to support sustainable progress in the developing countries, MEPs say it is not enough simply to set up an anti-poverty programme: women's emancipation must also be encouraged.�

• 2004/03/29 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2004/03/16 Vote in committee, 2nd reading
  • A5-0160/2004
• 2004/02/26 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 2nd reading
• #2561
• 2004/02/19 Council Meeting
  • 05402/1/2004 summary

    At first reading the three institutions met in order to find common ground on the Commission's proposals to promote gender equality in development co-operation. All agreed that a rapid agreement on this Regulation would ensure the smooth continuation of existing projects given that Regulation 2836/98 on the integration of gender issues in development co-operation had expired on 31/12/03. With the agreement of the Parliament and the Council, the Commission re-drafted its initial proposal by tabling twenty compromise amendments. The European Parliament had proposed increasing the budget from EUR 9 million to EUR 11 million. The Council, however, unanimously rejected this amendment sticking instead to the EUR 9 million budget proposed by the Commission. The reasons for maintaining the lower budget were: - The original figure was proposed by the Commission on the basis of a realistic forecast of what can reasonably be spent in the period 2004-2006. - The proposed increase of EUR 2 million is not justified because it would not allow gender mainstreaming - something for which a much larger figure would be required. - It is not possible to draw the extra EUR 2 million from budget line B7-6220 given that the Commission is already facing serious difficulties in meeting its actual financial commitments. The Council states that the common position agreed by the three institutions improves, enhances and clarifies the Commission's proposal by: - Enhancing the poverty-reduction focus and the gender mainstreaming dimension - Streamlining gender equality as a cross-cutting issue - Emphasising the importance of co-ordination between the different stakeholders and the role of non-state actors - Underlining the importance of women empowerment - Introducing clearer criteria for financial eligibility with special attention to women education and training.�

• #2558
• 2004/01/26 Council Meeting
• 2003/12/18 Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
  • T5-0596/2003 summary

    The European Parliament adopted a resolution based drafted by Olga ZRIHEN ZAARI (PES, B), making some amendments to the Commission's proposals. (Please see the summary of 26/11/03.) Parliament also added: - contracts with beneficiaries may cover the financing of their operating expenditure, in accordance with the provisions of the Regulation; - the Commission should actively raise the question of gender as a standing item on the agenda during meetings between representatives of the Commission, Member States and partner countries in order to increase awareness of gender issues in emerging areas of development cooperation; - the Commission should draw on the experiences of Members States, other donors and partner countries in the field of gender mainstreaming and women's empowerment.�

• 2003/12/17 Debate in Parliament
  • Debate in Parliament
• 2003/11/26 Vote in committee, 1st reading/single reading
  • A5-0447/2003
• 2003/09/01 Committee referral announced in Parliament, 1st reading/single reading
• 2003/07/30 Legislative proposal published
  • COM(2003)0465 summary

    PURPOSE : to promote gender equality in development co-operation. CONTENT : the co-operation and development policy, referred to in Article 179 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, highlights the need for the Council, acting in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 251, to adopt the measures necessary to further the objectives referred to in Article 177 of the Treaty. Community policy in this area shall focus on the fight against poverty, foster the sustainable development of developing countries, and the integration of developing countries into the world economy. The purpose of this Regulation is to implement measures to promote gender equality in Community development co-operation policies, strategies and interventions. To this end, the Community shall provide financial assistance and appropriate expertise aimed at promoting gender equality into all its development co-operation policies and interventions in developing countries. The Community support shall be aimed at complementing and reinforcing the policies and capacities of developing countries as well as the assistance provided through other instruments of development co-operation. The objectives to be pursued by this Regulation, in accordance with the goal of promoting gender equality and empower women as specified by the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, are the following: - to support the mainstreaming of gender in all areas of development co-operation, combined with specific measures in favour of women, with the goal to promote gender equality as an important contribution to poverty reduction; - to support endogenous public and private capacities in developing countries which can take the responsibility and initiative for promoting gender equality. Activities in the field of promoting gender equality eligible for financing include, in particular: - supporting specific measures related to access to and control of resources and services for women, e.g. in areas of education, employment opportunities, and political decision making; - supporting the analysis and improvement of statistics disaggregated by sex and age, development and dissemination of methodologies, guidelines, gender impact assessments, thematic studies, indicators, and other operational instruments; - supporting awareness raising and advocacy work; - supporting activities aiming at strengthening institutional and operational capacities of key players in the development process, such as the provision of gender specialist, training and technical assistance. The instruments to be financed in the course of the activities may take the form of: - methodological and organisational studies on gender mainstreaming relevant to all age-groups; - technical assistance including gender impact assessment, training or other services; - supplies, audits, evaluation and monitoring missions. Community financing may cover: a) investment projects, with the exception of the purchase of real estate, and; b) operating expenditure of a beneficiary body including recurring administrative and maintenance costs. Operating grants shall be awarded on a gradually decreasing basis. The sustained improvement of gender equality and the empowerment of women in developing countries are important outcomes of development and significantly contributions to poverty reduction. Since the Declaration and the Beijing Platform for Action of the Fourth World Conference on Women in 1995 global improvement has been made in terms of promoting gender equality in developing countries. In 1998, the Council adopted Regulation 2836/98/EC on integrating of gender issues in development co-operation, due to expire on 31 December 2003. The Regulation aims at mainstreaming gender perspectives into all of the Communities development co-operation policies and interventions and supporting the implementation of national plans designed to implement major elements of the Beijing Platform for Action. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS : - budgetary line : B7-622 (on promoting gender equality in development cooperation); - total allocation for action : EUR 9 million - period of validity : from 1 January 2004 to 31 December 2006.�

  • DG ['Development'],

Documents

• Legislative proposal published: COM(2003)0465
• Committee report tabled for plenary, 1st reading/single reading: A5-0447/2003
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 1st reading/single reading: T5-0596/2003
• Council position published: 05402/1/2004
• Committee recommendation tabled for plenary, 2nd reading: A5-0160/2004
• Debate in Parliament: Debate in Parliament
• Decision by Parliament, 2nd reading: T5-0215/2004
• : Regulation 2004/806
• : OJ L 143 30.04.2004, p. 0040-0045

History

(these mark the time of scraping, not the official date of the change)