Annex: Minute Statement by Denmark, Germany,
Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, The Netherlands, Czech Republic, The
United Kingdom, Sweden
On 14 November 2012, the Commission adopted a proposal
for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council
on improving the gender balance among non-executive directors
of companies listed on stock exchanges and related measures. Aiming
to address the serious problem of women's under-representation
in economic decision-making at the highest level, the proposed
Directive would set a quantitative objective for the proportion
of the under-represented sex on the boards of listed companies
of 40% by 2020 (by 2018 in the case of public undertakings). The
companies would be obliged to work towards that objective, inter
alia, by introducing procedural rules on the selection and
appointment of non-executive board members.
We share the Commission's view that, both in the
Member States and throughout Europe, fair chances and opportunities
for women in non-executive posts should and must be promoted.
Women encounter throughout their career lots of barriers, which
are unacceptable from a gender equality point of view. They are
also preventing the optimal use of the skilled workforce potential.
However we take the viewpoint that, in line with
the subsidiarity and proportionality principle, with regard to
the different company law systems and different corporate managerial
rights throughout the European Union, it is in the authority of
the Member States to find their own national approaches to achieving
this goal. Many of the Member states are considering or have implemented
various and differing national measures tailored to their system
on a voluntary and, if appropriate, legal basis to facilitate
raising the gender balance in boardrooms.
For these reasons, we reiterate that any targeted
measures in this area have to be devised and implemented at national
level. We do not support the adoption of legally binding provisions
for women on company boards at the European level.
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