- “Thank you chair. I think the Commission can certainly concur with the message that economic empowerment of women is not just a social justice issue but also an economic issue of competitiveness and growth. And we certainly concur with this committee's views that we in order to promote the more participation of women in the labor market we need to look into two levers: investing in care and care services and also promoting the equal sharing of care between women and men. And only by having policies in those two elements we are really able to allow everyone, every woman to participate freely in the labor market. So these two points are clearly reflected in the road map for women's rights that has been actually endorsed by the Parliament and we certainly thank the Parliament and this house for doing this. And principle four really recognizes work life balance and care as one of the priorities and we will use this principle to guide the new gender equality strategy that we are currently working on for twenty twenty six to twenty thirty. So on the side of the care services let me recall that we have a European care strategy that set the agenda when it comes to develop investment in care services and two Council recommendations, one on access to affordable high quality long term care and one on early child education care and the Barcelona targets that have been already mentioned here. And so in the context of the new gender equality strategy we are particularly looking at the working conditions in the care economy. By working conditions look at pay, working time, collective bargaining etcetera. But we are also looking on how to use more forcefully Barcelona targets for monitoring which could be a lever. And in this context of course we are really listening carefully to the discussions of this house to what could be a care deal because we know this is a demand from the Parliament and the two of the two committees when it comes to the promotion of equal sharing of care between women and men. And so the issue of leaves of course the main instrument is the work life balance directive as has been mentioned and the important novelty of this directive is that it puts the family leave and the flexible working arrangements at the center. And of course the idea of, as it was mentioned, nontransferable leaves between the two parents and giving effective incentives for fathers to take up leave and work flexibly. Now the adoption was in two thousand nineteen, the first deadline was in twenty twenty two and we had a second deadline in the directive which was about the provisions related to the two last weeks of paid parental leave and the transposition for that was August 2024.”
Regulation of teleworking labour conditions · Gender roles, equality and inclusion · Support for families
- “The future gender equality strategy will build upon these principles to answer specifically to the calls to the European Commission in the draft report. Let me just say a few points. The first is, of course, that we have been consulting across, um, society. We have conducted a public consultation on the next gender equality strategy, and we have also had a meaningful consultation with social partners. The commission did it just, in cooperation with DG employment, organise a dedicated hearing in social partners on 26th June this year, to which 42 organisations participated, both from employers and trade union sides. And we have also invited social partners to send written contributions and they still want to send further inputs. We will certainly take them on board. Let me also refer refer to the need of looking into the quality jobs roadmap and the subsequent act, because addressing these gaps is also addressing the access to quality jobs for women. Regarding your call on implementation of the directives on transparency and gender balance on corporate boards, let me reassure that the implementation of the transparency directive is a priority within the Commission. The implementation into member states national law is progressing rapidly. We had four workshops supporting the Member States, and we have funded eight projects for a total of €6 million to eight countries to help to support national guidance and awareness on gender sensitive job evaluation systems. Additionally, we are collaborating with eager to develop a step by step toolkit on gender neutral job evaluation, providing practical guidance to ensure compliance with equal pay principles.”
Minimum wages harmonisation at EU level · Gender pay transparency · Gender roles, equality and inclusion
- “So last year, and I can confirm that the transposition has been very slow. Um, we had by the deadline only half of the member states who had notified the commission on their legislation. So we had to give letters of formal notice to 19 countries in in 2022. And then we send what we call the reasoned opinions to 11 member states in 2023. And out of that process, it is indeed, uh, the fact that the Commission referred to the court, uh, referred three member states to the court. And this was in August 2022, uh, sorry, January 2024. And this summer, the court held in favor of the commission on all three cases. That was for Spain, Ireland and Belgium. We were, of course, happy to hear that this has triggered immediate reforms in Spain, showing that the EU legislation can have a true impact at national level, allowing allowing progress. And so we will now discuss with the Spanish authorities to see how the alignment is is being truly complied with. The problematic issues relate to parental leave and its compensation to flexible working arrangements, and the overlapping of carer's leave and and force majeure leave, and some problems with scope. And we are currently looking at compliance. So we intend to do this in 2026. And we will inform on the implementation of the directive by the member states in August 2027. 87. At that point, we also have to do two studies that we intend to to, uh, to work upon. Uh, one study on the interaction between the different types of leaves of the directive and other types of family leaves, like adoption leave and a study on the rights to family related leave that are granted to self-employed and in the context of the new gender equality strategy. And in parallel, we are currently looking at how to reinforce the monitoring to uptake of parental leaves by fathers. Thank you chair.”
Regulation of teleworking labour conditions · Gender roles, equality and inclusion · Support for families
- “Good morning. And thank you, chair, for the invitation to this exchange of views. And already for the words that this specific committee welcomes the initiative announced by the Commission that we will adopt an first ever strategy on anti-racism European strategy. And I would like to start by using those words to, of course, recognise that the Parliament and this committee have always been essential actors, key actors in the fight against racism across Europe. And we are aware that you have adopted several resolutions to address racism in its different forms, and you have called for an anti-racism strategy, uh, in previous discussions. So we are really pleased that we are able now to announce we are working on this and to be here to to hear more concretely, how can we cooperate and what are the specific inputs that this committee could give in this preparatory phase. It is not, of course, any news to the people in this room that racism concerns us all. And unfortunately, racism continues to rise in Europe. The numbers I think speak for themselves. And you have I understand, even yesterday I heard the presentation of the fundamental rights agency director with their new reports. But and so I think yesterday there was a lot of information on, on figures. But just let me recall one which I think is quite striking is that 60% of Europeans do think that there is racism in Europe, that this affects us all. And when we look at the surveys So the agency of fundamental rights. And we see the way different groups of society feel affected.”
Engagement of Romani communities in Europe · EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination · Gender roles, equality and inclusion
- “We see, for example, that 45% of respondents of African descent say they experienced racial discrimination in the five years before the survey. For 45%, that means 1 in 2 has experienced discrimination. So I think this is a stark, stark, um, reality that needs our attention. And with our union of equality, of course, the Commission wants to ensure that everyone can live, can live up to their full potential. These are the words of president van der Leyen. Her commitment to make sure that everyone has equal access to goods and services, and enjoys the same rights and protections. And this should not, in our view, be about Political causes, but really about reaffirming, affirming our shared values related to equality and non-discrimination. Now, with the adoption of the Anti-Racism action plan that the chair you have mentioned, so the current one that spans from 2020 2025, the Commission started the process for the first time in, uh, having specific um, policies related to fight against racism in all forms. And the upcoming strategy is suppose will be a continuation of that work, building on the good practices, the lessons learned, but also new inspirations that we might get from different from different actors. And, um, it is, of course, important to mention in this context that the new Strategy will address racism, racism in all its forms. And I think that's an important point to remember. And we are currently, um, looking into four specific areas. One, of course, is how we can help address structural racism, since this is a fundamental cause, uh, for many of the experiences that then individuals leave, um, in their, in their lives, uh, we are looking into addressing social inequity, inequality and how racism affects access to services, access to education, access to employment, etc.”
Engagement of Romani communities in Europe · EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination · Gender roles, equality and inclusion
- “Thank you very much for for the question and for the reminder of the difficulty that Roma communities still suffer in some countries of Europe. Uh, the honourable member knows very well that tomorrow there will be a the first presentation of the commission proposal for the next multiannual financial framework. And so I ask you to wait in curiosity for those announcements. But just to say that in the current multiannual framework, of course, there are provisions mainly related to the cohesion policy where there are enabling conditions, whether thematic or horizontal, for the technical terms that really call on the member States to ensure the quality of investment that, uh, that the honourable member has mentioned. Now, whether planting a tree is in contradiction of making sure a child goes to school. That's, I think, a matter of, uh, of judgment that I would not enter here.”
Engagement of Romani communities in Europe · EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination · Cohesion and rural funding
- “Um, thank you for, uh, reminder for underlining the importance of civil society, uh, in the process. And certainly I just want to reiterate that for us, civil society organizations represent a part of a vibrant and healthy democracy. They are part of the checks and balances of a healthy democracy. And we are all bound, obviously, for article two and article eight of the treaty. Those should, of course, inspire our work, both in terms of policy, but also when we are spending money. And thus I'm quite confident that the proposals of the Commission going forward will reiterate these fundamental aspects.”
Regulation of NGOs in Europe · EU engagement with civil society
- “I believe this is purely um, what happens when there is a change of political leadership? The mandate of this college has been shaped with different portfolios, different political leadership. Uh, the work around anti-Semitism, anti-Muslim hatred and uh, inter-religious dialogue is one that spans across many areas. And it was felt that this was better placed in the sector and under the political leadership of Commissioner Brunner, um, on anti-racism. And this is very tight with equality and non-discrimination policies. It seemed, uh, to our master. To our political masters. That continuing in the just made perfect sense. And we continue to put all the instruments at place. Uh, to all in fact to the work of all the the four coordinators. So there is, uh, in practice, very little, uh, difference. Uh, from, from the past. Um, now, there was a question also on the the use of structural funds to support the inclusion of Roma communities, uh, and the, the difficulties in implementing, uh, those funds. Uh, it is indeed an issue that the Commission is aware that the funding, um, directed to support Roma communities is not always totally absorbed by the national authorities. This is a concern now when it comes to the next MFF, I'm afraid I will not be able to unveil things that will come tomorrow to you. So I'm certain you will, uh, look with curiosity and attention. Uh, the commission proposal in this regard.”
Engagement of Romani communities in Europe · EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination · Cohesion and rural funding
- “and also developing an anti-racism implementation framework. Because if there is one, uh, very good, uh, outcome of the current action plan is actually the clear engagement in Member states. In some Member states. Of anti-racism policies. 12 member states have now national action plans to combat anti-racism. And we want to build on this and make sure that our cooperation and monitoring with the member States is reinforced, and there is more space to have active, uh, policies in this area across the EU. And finally, there's a fourth point, which is more about how we as an institution can pursue our own diversity and inclusion policies. Um, as you are aware, uh, there are also, uh, internal policies as public administration, uh, which we believe, uh, merit, merit its own place. So these are some of the elements we are looking into. Uh, we have launched a call for evidence and an open publication. A public consultation in April. This has now been closed, and we are now processing the inputs that we have received from different stakeholders. We have also discussed, had already occasion to discuss elements of the current thinking with the Member States. And of course, now we are here today to hear the views of this committee. Thank you.”
EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination · Gender roles, equality and inclusion · Recruitment policies in the EU
- “Yes, thank you very much. Uh, honourable member. Um, I think there were sort of two elements of the question to me. One relates to the support to the members, to the to support or monitoring or engagement incentives to the member states, and another one related to, um, to civil society. Um, let me say that we the current action plan, uh, there has been a new, uh, impetus that was created in the member states. And we are very pleased that 12 member states are actually developed their own national action plans against anti-racism. Um, there are other 15 member states who have some measures, but they are not forming a strategic view on anti-racism at national level. And we we truly believe that there is space for us to engage in this dialogue with the member States, with the different the different instruments. We have either a policy exchange, mutual learning, but also, uh, where relevant, financial incentives. Um, so that uh, the, the national uh, awareness, uh, around anti-racism can grow and can be more strategic at national level. Regarding the support to civil society. Let me say that with the current action plan, we have created what we call the permanent anti-racism civil Society Organizations forum. This is a forum that meets regularly and brings together different civil society organizations for different forum, representing different forms of combat against racism. And this forum is to be continued.”
EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination · EU engagement with civil society
- “Thank you. Chair. Um, I'll start with the first one in order of the points that have been raised. Uh, let me first, of course, underline that recognising diversity and the diversity that enriches, uh, Europe is an essential element, uh, on the way we approach our work, not only on the anti-racism strategy, but overall, this is, uh, uh, protecting and and and strengthening diversity is, in our view, a way to make our continent stronger. I was asked whether prevention, uh, through education is better or worse than, uh, law enforcement or repression. I would say that obviously, um, preventing racism and making sure there are inclusive there is inclusive. Education is a fundamental step to make sure that our racism is, is, uh, counteracted in the EU, but wherever needed, obviously law enforcement is necessary because hate what whatever form to whatever person is directed is, should be punished. And this is regardless of the credo, the, the, the race, the, the sexual orientation or whatever the person is seems to Um, the second point relates to the question on whether there is concrete legislation foreseen. I would like to remind us all that there is a racial equality directive that has 20 years of life, and we take that in some. In some instances, the implementation of this directive has not always been the most effective way. Effective one, for example. There is a study, a recent study showing how sanctions related to this directive might not be sufficiently persuasive. So so this is what we are looking at right now. Um, in, in in this context. And then there was a question related to the coordinators, why the coordinator for anti-Semitism, by the way, with other two coordinators, anti-Muslim hatred and uh, the one on the inter-religious dialogue were are now currently in the in the Secretary General of the Commission and why the anti-racism coordinator is indigenous.”
LGBTIQ+ · EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination · Jewish culture and antisemitism
- “Thank you. Chair. Well, I would like to thank this committee for, uh, for the interest. And I hear the support. The general support to a European strategy on anti-racism. I took careful note of all the different elements that have been raised through the questions or interventions, whether this was the importance of legislative action or the use of financial means. This is one important topic. I also take note of the importance of supporting civil society organisations in the process, whether in the creation of the strategy, but also in the implementation of the policies. And I certainly welcome any action that this Committee would like to have as we present the strategy, whether there will be a resolution or other means of. Involvement. I think the commission would be welcoming those. Thank you.”
EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination · EU competences on human rights · EU engagement with civil society
- “Thank you Chair. First I would like certainly to confirm that the numbers presented by your president also correspond to the numbers of the Commission. We are really talking about one fifth of the population in the EU has some form of disability. It can be a disability that is visible or invisible because of course some intellectual disabilities are not visible to the eye, so that is an important point. I think I would like to concur with the statements that having disability considerations from the start is probably far more cost effective than repairing and renewing. I think one interesting novelty in the EU is certainly the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive which for the first time requires that accessibility is addressed in building codes for new buildings and I think this is a major development that we should of course implement further. The other point I would like to mention is that the Public Procurement Directive as a mandatory feature of buying accessible, so that means that public authorities, they purchase in the markets, they are also obliged to look at accessibility and I think that's also a very important lever. And finally let me mention the financial regulation and the Commission proposal for the multiannual financial framework where accessibility is also underlined quite significantly with the understanding that investment through EU funds can also have that potential to change things and the reality for people. But I take also all the points that have other points for reflection in our internal work. Thank you.”
Energy performance of buildings · EU policy on disability inclusion & accessibility
- “Yes. Thank you, chair, and good afternoon. The commission welcomes this draft report and certainly, uh, concurs with the analysis that is provided. It is true that today gender, employment and pay gaps are narrower than past decades, but they continue to exist and decrease too slowly. The figures today are current are at ten percentage points and 12 percentage points, respectively. But when we look closer, they are bigger than these averages. The gender pay gap is severest among couples with children, with a difference of 25 percentage points. The gender employment gap in a couple with children is 17 percentage points. These gaps are symptoms of structural barriers in the labor market. Caregiving responsibilities remain a critical factor influencing the participation of women and men in the labor market in employment. They lead to shorter employment careers, more career breaks, more unwanted use of part time, and eventually less career progression. Other factors include the undervaluation of jobs predominantly done by women, gender segregation across economic sectors, and lack of financial literacy or simply of economic opportunities, including entrepreneurship. These factors have an effect not only on the position of women in the labor market, but also on their pensions, The gender pension gap, as it was already said, is at 25% point today. Now we have presented a road map for women's rights, and I would like to congratulate this House for endorsing it last week, which I think was an important achievement. The roadmap as a specific principle regarding economic empowerment and work life balance and the gender equality strategy.”
Gender pay transparency · Gender roles, equality and inclusion · EU policy on aging workforce and pensions
- “Good morning Chair and thank you for the invitation to this event. Today is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and so it's a very opportune moment to discuss accessibility. On the Commission behalf I would like to underline that accessibility continues to be at the heart of the EU disability policy with the EU Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Accessibility is an enabler of rights and a prerequisite for the full participation of persons with disabilities in all areas of life and on equal basis with others. In the area of products and services the Commission has acted to harmonize the EU market of accessibility with several legal acts such as the European Accessibility Act and the Web Accessibility Directive. In the area of transport passengers' rights legislation in all modes of transport contain accessibility provisions and we also have specific references in accessibility of rail complemented by specific requirements in the Accessibility Act. In the area of built environment where the competences mainly rely in member states the Commission supports them with training, awareness raising, standards and some legal provisions in acts like the Public Procurement Directive or the Energy Performance of Buildings Directive. The accessibility obligations are also mainstreamed in several of the acts that this committee very well knows and so I'm not going to list them all but one important part aside the legislation are of course the accessibility standards and the Commission mandated European standardization organizations to develop European standards in the areas of built environment, digital area, design for all and transport. And we have also finance, we are financing what we call Accessible EU which is the EU resource center and one shop stop shop on accessibility allowing practitioners to really have all the resources necessary to perform their work on the ground and we have today a community of practice of more than four thousand five hundred people. As we go forward when it comes to the recommendations of the CRPD Committee on accessibility the Commission is committed to make a report, present a report by two thousand and thirty on the European Accessibility Act addressing the evolution of the accessibility of products and services, the accessibility of the built environment where the services of the AEAA are provided and in public procurement and see whether this directive remains fit for purpose to its objectives. And regarding the standards that I mentioned the Commission continues to urge European standardization organizations to catch up the delays which are many on their side. And finally let me then also conclude that we are soon to present the SECA communication, a policy communication on the European Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that is foreseen for May next year and we will also resume and reflect on our work on accessibility. Thank you Chair.”
EU policy on disability inclusion & accessibility · EU policy on accessibility of digital infrastructure · EU competences on consumer protection and product standards
- “This toolkit, tailored for different employer sizes, aims to simplify transparency obligations without requiring external consultancy. The testing is underway and should be available online by early 2026. Regarding gender balance on company boards. You know, the deadline for transposition was end of last year. Today, 17 member states have done a complete transposition. So what we call completeness. So we are lacking ten in that process. And the next step involves issuing reasoned opinions. And the Commission is currently assessing which member states to include in this stage of the infringement process. Finally, let me draw. Uh, let me draw your attention for the last point where you talk about the report, talks about gender segregation at work, and recall that the Union of Skills identifies the gender gap in studying science, technology, engineering and maths as one of the causes for gender segregation in the labour market. It urges thereby the need to address gender disparities and this not only in sectors where women are underrepresented, but also in sectors where men are remain underrepresented like care, health, welfare and teaching profession. Uh, let me just say that the Stem Education Strategic Plan contributes to this goal by highlighting the importance of increasing female participation in digital careers. And let me reassure you that all these points will be reflected in the next gender equality strategy. Thank you.”
Gender pay transparency · Gender roles, equality and inclusion · Youth employment & training
- “Thank you, honourable member, for also sharing the information of the previous of the recent events in space in Spain. Um, of course, I would like to reiterate that as the current action plan, the upcoming strategy will tackle all forms of racism, and it is for us a priority for the Commission to engage and learn with everyone who is experiencing racism and discrimination across the EU. Uh, we should also, uh, certainly underline our commitment to make sure there is no place for hate based on religion in the EU, if that is what is implied here. And with our policy instruments related to hate speech and hate crime, the Commission is addressing and monitoring very closely the situation on hate based on religion with the EU, including against Christians. That's what I understand from the the question of the honourable member. Thank you.”
EU policy on Islam · EU engagement with Christian communities inside and outside the EU · EU policy on integration and ethnic, racial and religious discrimination