Working Breakfast on “To Quota or not to Quota: Women on Boards”
On Thursday, 26th of September 2013 the SME Europe of the European People´s Party (EPP) organized in cooperation with the SME Circle a Working Breakfast on “To Quota or not to Quota: Women on Boards”.
The debate was opened by Dr. Paul RÜBIG MEP, EP Committee on Industry, Research and Energy and SME Europe Honorary President who mentioned women entrepreneurship and over ten EU legislative acts target to encourage investing, taking risks and enjoying the benefits of the self-employment, all in line with the think small first principle.Dr. Paul RÜBIG MEP stated that more should be done at the European level, to encourage the women entrepreneurs.
The debate followed with an intervention by Astrid LULLING MEP, EP Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality offers an alternative to the proposal from the European Commission. Hence, the proposal provides minimum requirements for positive action in order to ensure a more balanced representation of women and men in the business at all levels. This Directive does not concern only a few thousands but hundreds of thousands or even millions of women at all levels in companies operating in the 28 member states of the European Union. She stressed that instead of imposing quotas among the non-executive directors of listed companies, which only affect some women, a truly innovative policy must provide positive actions that affect all women.
Bendt BENDTSEN MEP, Committee on Industry, Research and Energy stated his position against women quotas on boards and mentioned EU and the member States should set up a favorable framework in order for women to get the possibilities to access the boards. Establishing a women quota would burden the entrepreneurs and will touch upon the entrepreneurial freedom.
Joanna DRAKE, Director, SME Competitiveness, European Commission DG Enterprise & Industry stated we need to look at women quotas on boards as a tool to try to get to the objective we all share. She also cited the huge difference between Malta (with 4%) women in the boards of the companies and Ireland (25%). Being a temporary measure that will end up in 2028 we should try it out and see where we get.
Andreas STEIN, Head of Unit, DG Justice, Equal Treatment Legislation Unit, affirmed there is no obligation in the European Commission’s proposal on quota and no obligation to reach that quota by any date. There is a bottom up discussion and there are different quotas approaches in Europe.
The Working Breakfast finished with a questions and answers session.
Downloads
Impulse Statment Bendt Bendtsen
Gallery “To Quota or not to Quota: Women on Boards”.