Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Ordinary meeting Joint meeting LIBE-FEMM Joint committee meeting
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FEMM European Parliament
Follow its sittingsJavier Zarzalejos
Thank you, Mrs. Sippel. As far as lead is concerned, those replacements have been noted. Any others?
I move to the farm. I have.
On the farm.
Yes. Farm.
Speaker 5
Now. We're talking about Libbey. If that is all, as far as Libbey is concerned. Okay.
Speaker 1
Let's go with farm EPP. Gabriela Gerseni is replaced by Pascal Arimo. That's right. Yes. Eleonora Meletti is replaced by Alex Boss.
Okay. Hello. From S and D, I have no replacement. You are Gabriela Ferrella. Gabriela Ferrella?
Okay. So, Maria Grapini is replacing Gabriela Ferrella. And then from the Patriots, Matil Angrue is replaced by Katharine Grisset. That's right. Yes.
Victoria Ferrenk is replaced by Mr. Pimpier. Yes? Anders is replaced by Maria Borras Pavon. Okay. Thank you.
And then, no changes in ECR. OK? And renew Lucia Jar is replaced by Mikhail Wiesic. Thank you. And that's all.
It's all I have. So, if that's fine. So before proceeding to the vote, I would like to give the floor to the correctors. One minute each. So, Joanna, I can't.
Speaker 8
Thank you, Lina. I will be speaking Polish. In the beginning, I would like to tell you. Yes. Really?
Yes.
Speaker 8
Today, it's about a very important vote. And, of course, I'd like to thank everyone who has been helping us find a consensus. It was not a simple situation. It was very important, however, that we did this work together. At this point, I would like to turn to those who still have doubts, those who want to vote against this report.
I say to you, before you vote, please think about your colleagues, your mothers, your daughters, and your wives. Think about those women. These women know very well what it means to find an agreement. They know very well that they alone can take an independent decision and decide with whom they wish to have sex and when they want to have sex. And so, rape is without consent.
This is an absolute minimum we have to find, and we can't always find an agreement with everyone. Of course, we have different opinions. But every one of us, left or right, should be able to vote "yes." I think that it's only going to be a real consensus.
Evin Incir
Please, the floor is yours. Thank you very much. Cheers, dear colleagues. I do not usually intervene in this way, but I must express my disappointment with the EPP's request to vote on each compromise amendment separately. While there may have been an error in the institutional process, we, as the corruptor, worked hard to make sure we could proceed with a block vote in the end.
There was a clear agreement, including with the EPP, on proceeding with a block vote, and the agreement also covered the political substance. That's where it is important. I do not appreciate this kind of maneuvering, I must say. I'm a woman of my word, and I sincerely hope that the political agreement we reached will be respected because women and girls across our union and beyond continue to suffer abuse, often because legislation remains too weak. It is 2026, and many of our member states still do not have consent-based rape legislation.
How difficult can it be to understand, both in words and actions, that only "yes" means yes, and everything else means no? Everything else means rape. For all the survivors out there, the EU has a responsibility to act now. Thank you.
Speaker 1
So thank you to the co-rapporteurs, and I would like to insist again: also thank you to all the shadows for their work. And now, we start the vote. First, compromise number one by local vote. I open the vote. I close the vote, and it is adopted.
We move now to compromise two by roll call vote. I open the vote. I close the vote, and it is adopted. Now compromise three by roll call vote. I open the vote.
Colleagues, yes, it's fine. So, we'll close the vote, and it is adopted. So we move now to compromise four by local vote. I open the vote. I close the vote, and it is adopted.
We move to compromise 5 by local vote. I open the vote. Close the vote. Adopted. Compromise six by local vote.
Speaker 11
I open the vote. Close the vote, and it is adopted. Compromise seven by Rocco vote. I open the vote. I close the vote, and it is adopted.
Speaker 1
We will move now to compromise eight by local vote. I open the vote. I close the vote, and it is adopted. Compromise nine by local vote; I open the vote. Close the vote, and it is adopted.
Speaker 11
Compromise 10, by local vote. I open the vote. Close the vote, and it is adopted. Compromise 11 by local vote. I open the vote. I close the vote, and it is adopted. Compromise 12, by roll call vote. I open the vote.
Speaker 1
I close the vote, and it is adopted. Compromise 13 by local vote. I open the vote. I close the vote, and it is adopted. Compromise 14, my local vote.
I open the vote.
Excuse me. Yeah.
Speaker 1
It sometimes takes time. Sometimes, it takes time. Yes. So, the vote is open for Compromise 14. So I close the vote, and it is adopted.
Compromise 15, by roll call vote. I open the vote. I close the vote, and it is adopted. Compromise 16 passed by roll call vote. I open the vote. I close the vote, and it is adopted.
Speaker 11
And we go to the final vote, also by roll call vote. The vote is open. The vote is closed, and it has been adopted. Congratulations. So, congratulations again to the rapporteurs, all the shadows, and the committees.
Speaker 1
Please, now, we have two groups that would like to express a minority opinion. So, I would like to very briefly give the floor to Missus Spira and Mr. Reset from Patriots, and then we will go to Isir. So, please, the floor is yours. Thank you.
Speaker 12
You, chair. I speak French. Now, I must stress here that we've shown with great clarity our full support to rape victims and victims of sexual abuse. These sanctions must be a priority. For this reason, this is based on a nonexistent legal basis.
Article 83, paragraph 1, does not allow us to harmonize anything except certain elements that cover a transnational level. Rape is not in the list, and it is not a cross-border infraction. The council's legal service would like to remind you that the case of '22 has led us to exclude rape from the '24 regulation. The Istanbul Convention does not cover this. This decision is based on Article 85 of the TFE, which excludes any harmonization of criminal law.
Speaker 13
Furthermore, its explanation in point 1.93 looks at the freedom to express its own definition. Voting against this text does not mean voting against the denunciation of rape and abuse. It's a question of supporting the strict law of the treaty. It's a question of the express rights of women to the profit of transnational regulations.
Speaker 1
So now, I would like to give the floor to Ms. Grissett. Also, please, if you could be short, it would be great.
Speaker 14
Thank you, Madam Chair, dear colleagues. In Europe, one woman out of three has been abused either physically or sexually. Based on this, there is a lack of understanding; the idea of lack of consent makes the law more fragile. In Spain, the law on consent has reduced the charges in over 200 cases. We can't run the risk of having the same problems at the EU level. This proposal is a way of carrying forward the woke philosophy in Europe.
Speaker 15
The text is based on woke points and takes on board victims who are fighting against a so-called rape culture. And this is against the element of gender stereotypes. And this proposal comes from common sense: to go against the perpetrators, to guarantee the safety of everyone, and to denounce cases of foreign sexual abuse. Everything should be based on respect and mutual consent. Thank you.
Speaker 1
And now Madam Rochus from ECR has asked for the floor, and then also the rapporteur has asked for the floor. So I have to be brief because I have to give back the floor to the correctors.
Speaker 16
Thank you. Following Article 56, Paragraph IV of the previous regulation, the European Parliament, Nicolas B, Manpaula, and I would like to express our disagreement with the position maintained by the Libet and FAM committees and the text of our minority position. We think the bill should be based on the notion of consent. The girl faces a double problem, both as a victim of rape and regarding the responsibility of the member state. The recommendations that appear in this report will complicate the procedure for rape victims, who will have to prove both the rape and the lack of consent.
Speaker 22
And this would also put the burden of proof, capsize the burden of proof. And so, to show one's innocence was against European law, and we would change sexual relations so there would be a protocol when there is consent at any moment of intimacy. And it does not bear in mind the different approaches in the member states and does not sufficiently respect the principles of proportionality and subsidiarity, nor the lack of cross-border limits, which would allow us to have a European criminal case. So, even though we want to give justice to rape victims and have these crimes pointed out, we cannot maintain the report in its existing shape.
Speaker 1
And now, please be short. Joanna will be sharing from the fund committee and then evidence from. Very.
Speaker 8
Shortly. Just briefly, then. Just briefly. It's really a shame. It's really a shame that there are women in this room who have spoken in that sense.
There are many legal principles in the rule of law and in the criminal codes. These are principles of European criminal law, and what you are saying does not make sense. It's really a pity that a woman would take such a position.
Evin Incir
Thank you very much. First and foremost, I just want to say that this discussion about the competence we had already during the last mandate when we were negotiating and discussing the directive on gender-based violence, domestic violence, and violence against women. According to the European Parliament legal service, even then—and I don't think much has happened since—it is clear that it falls within the EU's competence. If you want to give justice for real, let me just finish for rape victims: why is it so hard to ensure that we have legislation in all our 27 member states? Stop hiding behind national competence and just say that you don't care about women's and girls' rights.
Speaker 1
So, we move to the next point, which is the vote on the provisional agreement resulting from a very important legislation: the inter-institutional negotiation of the victims' rights directive. For that, I would like to especially thank the co-rapporteurs, Lucia Iar from the Pharm Committee Renew and Javier Zarfalejos from Libbey EPP. And, obviously, all the shadows for the work. It has been hard, a long work on this, as I said, very important file. And after five trial logs and many more inter-institutional meetings, we managed to negotiate and conclude a very satisfactory provisional agreement with important updates for the rights of victims in Europe.
So, I would like to give the floor now to the co-rapporteur, Javier Tarfalejos.
Javier Zarzalejos
Thank you, Chair. As co-rapporteur of this file, I'm really very pleased that college leaders were able to agree on an important piece of legislation for the victims of crime. I trust that the new instrument will make it easier for victims to report crimes, obtain support, and access information about their rights, including legal aid and compensation. I'm convinced that we've made real progress in this respect, and I would like to express my appreciation for the close cooperation I've had with the rapporteur, Mrs. Jarre, who unfortunately is not able to be present in the boat today. And now, I think that's at FEM, FAMCO rapporteur, Luciar is not available today, but I understand that Miss Abid Al Salani will take the floor on her behalf for one minute.
The floor is yours.
Speaker 18
Thank you, dear chairs and Cora Poteur. Speaking for New Europe and my dear colleague Gelutziair, who was instrumental in these negotiations, I am proud that we managed to deliver real progress for victims across the EU within this directive. We have strengthened access to justice and information, provided stronger protection, and enhanced rights for victims. But more than anything else, I want to underline the importance of including references to reproductive health care and abortion care in the text. This is the first victim rights directive that explicitly mentions reproductive health care, and it is a significant step forward in addressing the rights of victims of sexual violence.
I would like to extend my gratitude personally to all the teams who are involved, for all the support that we have received. This was a very important step forward. Thank you.
Javier Zarzalejos
Thank you, Mrs. Salzalani. We now proceed to the vote. There's just one single vote, a roll call vote on this file, and we declare the vote open then. The vote is closed. Closed.
Speaker 21
Come on. We have closed the vote, and it has been adopted. Thank you. You have to declare it. It is.
Speaker 1
Less crowded. We move on with our meeting, just the farm committee meeting. And we go to point one, which is the first point of the agenda. Normally, there are no comments. We continue, but I've been informed that Margarita de la Pisa from Pratiot would like to intervene on this point.
So, the floor is yours.
Speaker 24
Well, thank you very much, ladies and gentlemen. On February 26, the commission is going to express its policy on the citizens' initiative, My Body, My Choice. We don't know what the definitive position of the commission will be.
I think the parliament calls for a budgetary issue to be brought up concerning this particular "my body, my choice." It's very important to take this into consideration for 2027, and in view of the MFF as well. That we're having a vote on tomorrow. This particular group has posed this question, but unfortunately, no correction has been made on this issue.
There are many in this chamber who have said that the citizens' initiative is taking place in an inner realm where the European Union has no remit or competence whatsoever. And this has also been expressed by a number of member states.
We're speaking about the financing of interests with a special agenda behind all of those apparent interests. So any reference to my voice or my choice is to be put aside until the commission expresses itself on this particular point specifically.
Thank you very much.
Speaker 1
So, thank you. Thank you very much. Just to inform you, we cannot postpone the vote because we have a deadline. This is not definitive; we are just giving an opinion. We are not the committee responsible for the budget.
We have a deadline that is not decided for us, so we cannot postpone. And regarding what is included or not, it is not my decision, but it is the coordinator's political decision. So, it is decided. So that you can vote against it, obviously.
But, well, just if there is, who else would like to postpone, if there are other groups, but yeah, it's not a majority for that. So, we continue. But I mean, it is a coordinator's decision, so I have asked the groups that follow, and you have no majority. So this is to keep with the coordinator's decision we have.
So now, I would like to know who is in favor of the adoption of the agenda. So, please, who is in favor of the adoption of the agenda? There are no abstentions, so the agenda is adopted. So we move to the following point, which is the chair's announcements.
So the decision of the fund committee coordinators in their meeting of 26th January, and the written document of 10th February, are included in the documents of the meeting. And if there are no comments, the decisions are endorsed. We now move to the adoption of the minutes, which are again included in the documents. So, if there are no comments, the minutes are endorsed.
And we move now to point six, which is the file of establishing global Europe. I would like to give now the floor to the rapporteur, Abir Al Salani, from Renew.
Speaker 18
You have five minutes, so the floor is yours. Thank you. 5 minutes. Thank you, Madam Chair. Dear colleagues, last week, we were in India to follow up on how gender equality priorities have been implemented in the External Action Service of the EU.
We saw indeed some progress, but vast inequalities remain. What stayed with me is the fact that rights written in ink and what is written in laws are not the same as rights lived in reality. Rights that are inherent in international law and national law in constitutions do not equal individual agency. There is a vast gap between the lived realities and what the laws are intending, but also what treaties, understandings between countries, and different kinds of agreements are. But with the anti-gender movements and far-right political actors clinging to power, we have a situation in many parts of the world where this gap is growing.
And gender-responsive policies and laws are weakened. We are living in a severe women's rights crisis. It will negatively impact all policy areas, from peace and security to trade and economic growth; alarm bells should be sounding.
But what also stayed with me from the journey and the mission to India was the resistance. The vibrant and brave feminist movements and organizations around the world are the actors that will bring transformative change.
Alive. They challenge existing power imbalances and foster democracy. They put new ideas on the table. They mediate and negotiate peace. And they are always there for the most vulnerable when no one else is, and they are always the first responders to deadly crises. But they are fighting for their survival.
Political support is shrinking, and so is the funding. We must invest in them. And it is urgent. The trip to India came at the right time. It confirmed some of the issues we have constantly been raising and the pushback on women's rights.
Gender equality and its funding. And it has informed our priorities for the draft opinion. This is the moment for the EU to show leadership if we want to be a world-leading defender of women's rights. And if we are to put the money where our mouth is, the Global Europe Instrument is utterly crucial.
I want to thank the commission for the proposal and for including gender equality priorities. We understand that this is a priority also for the commissioner, and I hope we can work together to further strengthen the proposal.
Because I believe the proposal lacks some ambition to meet the reality that many women are living through every day. To me, it remains unclear how the commission will achieve its commitments and with which funding.
To maximize flexibility, all targets have been removed. Including gender targets. But we all know what happens to gender equality programs when flexible flexibility becomes the main guiding principle. They actually disappear.
The commission proposes a full mainstreaming approach. But mainstreaming only works when there are clear targets. For me, it is a core priority that the multiple-pronged approach remains. With both dedicated gender programs and mainstream gender priorities in other programs.
Therefore, my proposal is to reintroduce the gender targets, including one specifically on women's organizations. And with women's organizations, we also mean women-led organizations. We have them in the DGCI instrument, removing them now sounds to me like only one signal.
We are deprioritizing gender equality and women's rights. Further, I would like to see dedicated programmable actions on SRS Women, Peace and Security, combating gender-based violence, and economic empowerment and participation.
I look forward to receiving further input from the shadow rapporteurs, and I wish we can have a constructive process. I hope FAM can send a strong signal for the need for a truly gender-responsive and transformative global financial instrument.
Because words without funding mean inaction. Thank you.
Speaker 1
So, thank you. Thank you very much. And yes, indeed, we just came back from a very timely, important mission. In India, we will soon report to the rest of our colleagues.
And I would like to give the floor for two and a half minutes to the shuttle repertoire. So I start with my missus Lukashenka, please, the floor is yours. I think that Elizabeth would be easier. For everybody.
Thank you, hotel.
Okay.
Speaker 26
Now, at this moment, it's a very crucial moment for European foreign policy.
We have instability. We have aggressive policies from Russia. China is more present. And we have to react quickly and efficiently. This instrument should guarantee efficiency and quick reaction.
And we need an instrument that truly supports our partnerships, that really stabilizes our neighborhoods, and can support our principles. We can't accept the situation where we are not respecting European values.
We're talking about health. We're talking about labor markets, etc. These are very insignificant matters. Also, for our foreign policy. These are really the conditions for stabilizing the neighborhood.
And I think this is where we have this kind of stability; there's less risk of war and violence. We need to have a pragmatic approach. We have to really strengthen the resilience of our partner states. And really focus on stability.
Stronger societies are the kinds of societies where women aren't marginalized. And Global Europe, as an instrument, is a strategic instrument. It should be ambitious. It should also take responsibility. And I think it should also serve European values, and that should really be defined as our common purpose. And I really look forward to working on this opinion together. When we look at the amendments, we will support the role of women; this should be supported.
Thank you very much.
Speaker 29
And now from the stage, it's Andre Alessandra Moretti. Grazie, presidente. Thank you, Madam Chair.
Speaker 30
Thank you very much to the rapporteur, Abir Al Salani, and her team for the comprehensive draft opinion. Today, the submitted document already proposes many key elements that are important to the S and D group.
As stated in the treaties of the European Union, gender equality must be a guiding principle in all our work. Therefore, the principle of gender mainstreaming has to be stated explicitly to ensure a broad and targeted approach to gender equality in all MFFs.
Files. The expenditures under discussion have to be streamed accordingly, as reaffirmed in previous documents and in the current MFF. The Commission's commitment to gender budgeting must remain firm and visible. It is of utmost importance that global Europe supports measures against the worldwide backlash of gender equality and women’s and girls’ rights online as much as offline. Ensuring security and safety for women and girls requires eliminating gender-based violence.
Eradicating poverty and addressing its disproportionate impact on women. And guaranteeing access to quality education, including sexual and reproductive health and rights. Addressing climate change and biodiversity loss must also integrate a gender perspective.
Acknowledging the different gender impacts of human-induced climate change. Security requires strengthening women's role in conflict prevention and guaranteeing their full, equal, and meaningful participation in peace processes. To achieve sustainable peace, resilience, and lasting security, we must work together.
Elizabeth is looking forward to the collaboration and will propose amendments to further strengthen the text. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Thank you very much.
Speaker 24
Thank you very much. Now we're worried about the disconnect between reality and the Brussels bubble, if you like. Now, the problems that affect us or affect the world continue on some sort of ideological line that doesn't go hand in hand with the needs of society.
Many citizens have difficulties as far as housing, security on the streets, rights for women, and the low birth rate. And unfortunately, many women fall victim to forced labor, forced genital mutilation, and other similar issues. So, we have a total lack of equality before the law.
Nonetheless, we have this Agenda 2023-2026, the millions that are to be spent there. At the same time, there are other necessities that have to be taken care of for us. We identify.
Many don't identify with what is labeled as "European values," which is being imposed. But who are we referring to? For many of us, those particular values are totally different. The dignity of human beings, the freedom to express oneself, the freedom to practice one's faith—these are the fundamental rights and values that we're familiar with and that we espouse.
Europe has Christian roots. Christian culture. These particular principles have to be taken on board, and they indeed represent the particular continent and the people of this continent. This has made Europe a place of prosperity, a place of opportunity, and a place where many people want to come.
And we're truly worried indeed because these very fundamental roots are being ruined and destroyed by these ideologies. We want a society that is based on those particular values that we all share.
Now, as concerns gender equality, we're speaking about men and women. But unfortunately, this has also been included in an onslaught on maternity and fertility as well. Many of us don't identify with this particular version of women's rights, this newfangled approach. We don't agree with it.
So, it is on these particular concerns that the amendments we propose are based. We want a Europe that is indeed a Europe which represents the desires and aspirations of its citizens and those very founding fundamental values.
Thank you very much.
Speaker 22
You. Well, I want to stop at the case of Lambda. I think it's quite emblematic, really. You're coming back from that mission. I was expecting you to focus on the specific situation of women in India, where you see that the worst is at the world level: this enormous business of GPA with women who are parked in factories.
I think there is a lot to be said about the dignity of women before you can satisfy the individual wishes of everyone who, on behalf of LGBT rights, uses this market. So really, I think here it's really under our eyes.
We've got, on the one hand, Europeans with their approach, which is based on gender ideology and not on the biological distinction of the situation: males and females who are going to use women considered as incubators in order to buy a product, a child, and then demand their rights to paternity or maternity, while women who are in a patriarchal society are having to struggle just to be women.
And I'm really shocked that not a word, not a thought is about me coming back from this mission on the specific situation of these women who obviously don't interest you.
Speaker 1
We are not done with the official report so far from the mission. So there is nothing put or not put because we haven't done it so far. I mean, just for your information.
Speaker 33
From the Greens, Alice, do you like to take the floor? Unfortunately, I wasn't on the trip, and I have no report back. Thank you. But it is not regarding the, but never mind.
So, this is sorry.
Speaker 1
I mean, the rapporteur was in the mission, so she commented yes. Sorry. Regarding that, I did not know what to say.
I'm sorry.
Speaker 35
Thank you. You, chair. From the point of view of our committee, the severity of this proposal is the weakening of the binding commitments on gender equality. This proposal is eliminating targets for the funding of dedicated initiatives, replacing them with generic gender mainstreaming without clear elements. Now we know that without any element, this mainstreaming will weaken our commitments and make the results invisible.
The global concept where reproductive rights and women's rights are under attack is an unacceptable step backwards. That's why we would like to have binding targets in the text of the regulation, transparent and disaggregated measurements by gender, and connections with the local groups who are often defending democracy.
I'll conclude by saying that the EP cannot allow us to go backwards on this point. We want a Europe that is credible in the world. Gender equality must be struck in our cooperation and not just as a principle.
Speaker 38
I was not on the trip. To India, but I do know it was not on the agenda. Our criticism of the report is simple. There are too many ideological aspects of it concerning gender and climate.
Especially the financing of €200,000,000,000 plus a buffer; I don't think that is sustainable for funding. Because there must be somewhere else the money is needed, and it's going to come from German citizens who are paying that.
So, we're going to reject it.
Speaker 1
So, thank you. Are there other members who want to take the floor in this file? If not, we will conclude. Thank you. Sorry. Yes, it's true.
Speaker 18
Yes. Thank you so much. I need to clarify some issues when it comes to the asks that we are making, claiming that they are ideological. Women's security and peace: this is not ideological.
Women are the first responders when a crisis happens. You see it in Afghanistan even during the Taliban's rule; when the earthquake happened, the women were left under the rubble because they were not touched.
And if there is no EU funding for these women's organizations, they are not receiving any funding from the Taliban regime. This is not about Christianity. This is not about Islam. It's about actually helping these women-led organizations.
The women are not left under the rubble. So, making this an ideological fight and calling our asks ideological is far beyond ignorant, I have to say. I'm sorry. No. I'm not sorry.
It is ignorant. And that is also very ideological. We are making basic asks. We are saying that we have to have targets. Are you saying that we have to empower women to lead to economic growth and economic participation, and that women have to be able to have an ID card and a bank account even if they are so-called untouchables? This is what we are calling for.
We are calling for a woman who is raped to be able to end an unwanted pregnancy. This is about being on the side of women. Not being on the side of patriarchy or the established political system.
And if you really want to care about taxpayers' money, I think that our citizens want to see a good development corporation that is effective but also gender responsive.
Because there is no citizen in Europe who wants to see women suffering, who wants to see an EU that chooses inaction, that chooses to be passive. And if you want to be, you know, careful with taxpayers' money, then put gender targets so we can follow it up. So we can ask the commission what they are doing and how they are doing with the money. This is about being a responsible politician and not just a populist.
Thank you.
Speaker 1
Thank you. You. Thank you very much, Abir. Thank you very much. So, the deadline for amendments has been set for Wednesday, 4 March 2026, and the vote on this file is scheduled to take place during our meeting in May 2026.
The affidavit committee and all the responsible committees for this file intend to vote in September 2020. 6. So now we move to the next point, which is point seven in our agenda.
Which is a regulation establishing a budget expenditure tracking and performance framework, and other horizontal rules for the Union programs and activities. For that, we have with us Lourdes Acedo Montoya.
Okay. Hello. Head of unit, one from the European Commission, and I would also like to thank the curators from batch and committees, Jean Marc Sharmaine and Mr. Nicholas Helfst. That, obviously, we have an exchange of views among us. For this committee, it is absolutely very important because we cannot advance on gender equality unless we advance on bringing equality to all policies through gender mainstreaming.
And for that, obviously, we need gender budgeting, and we need a tracking mechanism to see how it is advancing. So you all know that the general mainstream is a fundamental principle in and binding committee, sorry, under Article 8 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. For many years, together with the batch and count committees, our fund committee was calling for the application of gender mainstreaming in the European Union budget and for monitoring the development of the methodology by the European Union. Commission. We have insisted a lot on that.
And therefore, we welcome the inclusion in the 2028-2034 proposal of a budget expenditure tracking and performance framework of gender equality as a horizontal principle, and the provision of a systematic gender tracking scoring and gender-disaggregated performance indicators across all Union programs.
Talking now as a chair, but I will talk later because I am also the rapporteur representing my group, S and D, on this file. So, I'm glad to open today's discussion.
By inviting first Mrs. Avedo Montoya, chief economist and head of unit coordination in the Directorate-General of Budget of the European Commission, to present us the proposal. Thank you.
Speaker 40
Thank you very much for being here with us. The floor is yours for 7 minutes. Thank you. Thank you very much for the introductory words and for the invitation to share with you the commission's proposal for the performance regulation. If you allow, I will guide you through a few slides of the presentation.
I don't know who Yes is.
Speaker 40
Thank you very much. So, first, a few words on what we are talking about. What is this performance regulation about, and what are we trying to achieve with it? It is a horizontal regulation that applies to all the programs in the MFF. What we want to deliver is consistency through a single tracking system for spending and results, which would cover, first, horizontal principles that are and should be applied in the same way across all programs in the MFF.
This goes to climate and the environment. This relates to social policies. This also goes to the crux of today's discussion on gender equality. Horizontal principles across all the MFF programs.
Second, a common monitoring system of spending and results with a list of intervention fields and with predefined performance indicators, outputs, and results, so that we can have proper scrutiny of what we are achieving with the money that we are putting into these programs.
And third, and I think it's very important, reporting. Simplified reporting for better scrutiny and transparency, with one portal, one single gateway where we report on all these horizontal elements.
What does it bring? In the next slide, you see that what we are trying to achieve is a consistent application of these horizontal principles. You move to the next slide? Consistent application of the horizontal principles is a common methodology to track budgetary expenditure. This common list of performance indicators monitors outputs and results, which is streamlined and also made compatible across programs.
One single report on performance compared to 32 today, so that we have more scrutiny and a single gateway portal, which merges the existing 30 portals of information. This is for calls, for the expression of interest. This is also to have better information on the performance.
Let me zoom in on gender equality. Now. How are these provisions enshrined in the horizontal regulation and performance regulation? It is the first time that we have a single set of rules and guidance for the entire budget. This means consistency across all the programs in the MFF, and this horizontal guidance needs to be read or seen in sync with the sectoral legislation.
Specific objectives for gender equality articles 7, 13, 16, and 17. So, gender equality is included as an objective for programs for which it is relevant and appropriate. And we have provided, in an annex of this regulation, a list of programs for which gender equality is important. And you have the list below.
What is the benchmark to assess the relevance of gender equality? The benchmark can be found in the impact assessment, which provides for a thorough assessment of gender equality as mandated by the better regulation guidelines amended in 2021.
So, we look at the programs for which gender equality has direct relevance. This doesn't mean that programs not in the list, like Eurotome, should not or cannot promote gender equality.
They can. But, for instance, if we look at Eurotome, this is about technical nuclear research, but they can also have targeted measures, for instance, to support STEM among women. But this is not the crux of the program, and we don't want to give a blanket classification, but really to focus on and provide a list of the programs that talk about education, employment, and health care, which are very much linked to gender.
In the next slide, I want to zoom a bit and look at gender balance. We have also provided in the regulation a requirement that when there are panels and advisory bodies, they must be gender balanced unless there are exceptional circumstances.
This shows the power of having a horizontal regulation. Today, this exists for Horizon, but it doesn't exist in other regulations. By having this requirement in the horizontal regulation, it will be applied across the board.
Data and data collection, you have them in the previous slide. We require disaggregated data collection by gender. So that we can better measure the gender-related outcomes of the MFF, and a methodology, which indeed the Parliament has been very much pushing for.
So we now have the opportunity to develop a common tracking methodology from the onset, from the beginning of the MFF, very much aligned with the OECD technical guidance. Activities with gender equality as a principal objective score 2, activities with gender equality as an important objective score 1, and activities with no substantial contribution score 0.
How are we going to operationalize all this? The operationalization is differentiated by the management mode of the program. This means horizontal principles, horizontal rules, but applied according to the management mode.
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