Promoting access to key positions for women in the business sector. Visit of a FEMM delegation in Athens.

Discussions on the priorities of the upcoming Greek Presidency of the EU are underway and Women’s Rights issues are on the agenda of the Delegation of the Women’s Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) Committee of the European Parliament, for their visit to Athens.

The talks will also focus on the “Women on Boards” Directive which aims to introduce an objective that women make up at least 40% of  non-executive director board members by 2020, as well as a flexible objective for executive directors, to be set by the companies themselves. The Directive applies to publicly listed companies. SMEs and companies with less than ten per cent women in their workforce do not fall under the proposal. All decisions on the sanctions applicable for breaches of this Directive is left to the Member States.

Mrs. Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, who participates in the Delegation, is the Co-Rapporteur of the Parliament on the subject. A compromise between the two major political groups in the Parliament has been found and there are sound and realistic chances that this will be accepted by the Council.

The Delegation is going to meet in Athens with members of the Greek government, representatives of civil society, trade unions and the Hellenic Union of Enterprises.

Shortly before the visit, Mrs. Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou underlined how “The promotion and valorisation of highly skilled human capital through various initiatives, such as enabling women to access key positions in business decision-making processes, is undoubtedly a precious tool in view of exiting the crisis. The forthcoming Greek Presidency must be duly informed on all the major challenges in that field in order to guarantee a constructive and fruitful collaboration with the European Parliament”.