PURPOSE : to implement measures to promote gender equality in Community development cooperation policies, strategies and interventions.
LEGISLATIVE ACT : Regulation 806/2004/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council on promoting gender equality in development cooperation.
CONTENT : This Regulation states that the Community will provide financial assistance and appropriate expertise aimed at promoting gender equality into all its development cooperation policies and interventions in developing countries.
The objectives to be pursued by this Regulation are the following:
- to support gender mainstreaming in all areas of development cooperation, combined with specific measures in favour of women of all ages, with the goal of promoting gender equality as an important contribution to poverty reduction;
- to support endogenous public and private capacities in developing countries which can take the responsibility and initiative for promoting gender equality.
Activities in the field of promoting gender equality eligible for financing include, in particular:
- supporting specific measures related to resources and services for women in the areas of education and training, health, economic and social activities, employment and infrastructure, and to participation in political decision-making processes;
- promoting the collection of statistics disaggregated by sex and age, development and dissemination of methodologies, guidelines, ex-ante and ex-post gender impact assessments, thematic studies, qualitative and quantitative indicators, and other operational instruments;
- supporting awareness-raising and advocacy work and the establishment of stakeholders' networks in the field of gender equality;
- supporting activities aiming at strengthening institutional and operational capacities of key stakeholders in partner countries in the development process, such as the provision of gender specialists, training and technical assistance.
Community financing may cover both investment projects, with the exception of the purchase of real estate, and operating expenditure of a beneficiary body including recurring administrative and maintenance costs. Operating grants shall be awarded on a gradually decreasing basis.
The Regulation gives a list of factors to which particular attention will be paid in the selection of activities. These include the potential of programmes to act as a catalyst and a multiplier in order to support the strategy of gender mainstreaming on a large scale in Community interventions.
The partners eligible for financial assistance under this Regulation include local communities, and NGOs, particularly those operating in the field of gender equality, women's organisations, community-based organisations, trade unions, and other not-for-profit natural and legal persons.
The financial framework for the implementation of this Regulation for the period 2004 to 2006 is EUR 9 million. The annual appropriations shall be authorised by the budgetary authority within the limits of the financial perspectives.
The Commission will submit in its annual report on EC developmentpolicy to the European Parliament and to the Council, information on the operations financed. The summary will in particular provide information about the strengths, weaknesses and outcomes of operations, those with whom contracts have been concluded as well as the results of any independent evaluations of specific operations.
ENTRY INTO FORCE : The Regulation will enter into force on 20/05/04. It shall apply until 31 December 2006.�