IP/00/468
Brussels, 12 May 2000
Commission adopts goals
promoting women in 2000
for
recruiting
and
During 2000, the Commission intends to appoint at least two women to
Director-General or Deputy Director-General posts and at least five women to
Director or Chief Adviser (A2) posts. The Commission has also set a target to
ensure that women represent at least 20% of appointments to Head of Unit
and Adviser (A3-A5) posts by the end of 2000. Finally, the Commission will
recruit equal numbers of men and women from the reserve lists drawn up
after entrance competitions, wherever possible.
Vice-President Neil Kinnock welcomed the adoption of these targets, while pointing
out that much still had to be done, "By setting these objectives, the Commission is
not simply adhering to obvious and essential values of fairness and equal
opportunities, it is acting in its own interest, acknowledging that promoting more
women at all management levels will enhance its performance. Obviously, we
recognise that we have a long way to go to ensure equal or even simply adequate
representation, but our aim is create a momentum which, in a few years' time, will
mean that there are as many female managers as men to chose from when making
appointments".
Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou said, "I am glad to see that the Commission
has adopted quantified objectives. This shows clearly that the Commission practices
itself what it preaches to others."
This initiative is a response to the priority of appointing equal numbers of women to
decision-making posts, which was announced by the new Commission when it took
office. On 8 December 1999, the Commission set itself the overall target of doubling
the number of women in grades A1 and A2 during its term of office (there were 22 on
1 January 2000). The objectives adopted today mark the first practical step towards
achieving that ambition.
Since 1995 the Commission has adopted annual targets for the recruitment of
female officials in category A and for the appointment of women to middle
management posts and grade A2 posts. This is the first time that targets have been
adopted for A1 posts. The new annual objectives are in line with the Third action
programme for equal opportunities for women and men - 1997-2000, adopted by the
Commission on 2 April 1997, which also sets out to develop a work culture that
meets the requirements of both sexes.
Over this five-year period, there has been a gradual, but significant improvement in
the number of women in category A posts (policy planning and management) in
Commission departments (19.4% in January 2000 as against 14% in January 1995),
as well as in Director posts (12% in January 2000 compared with 2.6% in January
1995) and Head of Unit and Adviser posts (14.9% in January 2000 compared with
10.5% in January 1995) – see annex in French.