Procedure file

The plan would involve inter alia setting up a High-level Group on Gender Equality (composed of the EP President, the Bureau, the Chairs of the relevant committees and the Secretary-General), incorporating gender analysis into all stages of the budgetary process and implementing an effective press and information policy which systematically takes into account gender equality and avoids gender ster. [...] The Conference of Presidents was urged to discuss how gender could be mainstreamed in the activities of the political groups, if necessary by amending the EP's Rules of Procedure, with a view to guaranteeing balance between women and men in the EP's Bureau and in the bureaux of the committees and delegations. [...] Looking ahead to enlargement and to the 2004 elections, the committee wanted the applicant countries to be encouraged to establish programmes and campaigns for female politicians and candidates to ensure that they are prepared for the EU institutions and that the percentage of women MEPs increases. [...] Finally, the report supported the idea of an anti-discrimination provision, in line with Article 13 of the Treaty, and the reversal of the burden of proof in cases of discrimination, as put forward in the Commission proposal to amend the Staff Regulations for EC officials. [...] (Please see the document dated 19/02/03.) With regard to the EP Secretariat, Parliament called for the implementation of a coherent and comprehensive framework for gender mainstreaming, in close cooperation with the DG for Personnel and COPEC, and with the involvement of staff representations.