Full Minutes of the Meetings

SESSION OF MONDAY, MAY 12, 2003

Interventions on important political issues

Karamanou (PSE). – Mr. President, I would also like to express my deep satisfaction that, starting today in the plenary, colleagues from the new member states of the European Union are participating as observers.

However, Mr. President, allow me to express, as President of the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, my deep disappointment regarding the composition of these delegations from a gender perspective. There is underrepresentation of women, and as can be seen from the list you distributed to us, there are two countries—Estonia and Slovenia—that do not include a single woman in their delegations. I consider this to be an insult to women, who are not represented in the delegations of these member countries, as well as a disregard for the policy of gender equality, which the European Union has promoted for 50 years. I hope that this will not be the case in the upcoming European elections and that the delegations will be gender-balanced. And because I know, Mr. President, that you support this policy, I would like you to take the initiative to inform your colleagues in the parliaments of these countries.