Commission launches new Equal Opportunities Strategy

The European Commission today launched a new Strategy on Equal Opportunities for the period to 2014, aiming to build further on the considerable progress already made over recent years. The strategy is based on three central principles: attracting, developing and maintaining a balanced workforce; promoting a more flexible working environment; ensuring ownership of the strategy at the highest level. New targets will be set for the number of women in senior and middle management positions and for the recruitment of women to administrator (AD) posts. Each Commission department will have to draw up its own plan of action for how to achieve the targets and there will be regular reviews by the Directorate-General for Human Resources.

“We have already made considerable progress in promoting equal opportunities in the Commission, increasing five-fold the number of women senior managers since 1995 and doubling the number of female middle managers,” said Maroš Šefčovič, Commission Vice-President for Inter-institutional Relations and Administration. “We have also introduced new flexible working practices. But we can and we must do better. This strategy not only sets concrete goals, it will also encourage better use of flexible working practices and aim to make managers at all levels sensitive to the importance of equal opportunities for the whole workforce. Equal opportunities are in everyone’s interest, allowing the Commission to make the best use of the talent available and maximising productivity.”

Attracting, developing and keeping a balanced and motivated workforce

The strategy sets multiannual targets up to 2014. By then, 25 percent of senior management posts should be occupied by women (compared with 21 percent now), with a corresponding target to replace at least 30 percent of retiring senior managers with women. By 2014, 30 percent of middle managers should be women (23 percent now), with 50 percent of retiring middle managers to be replaced by women. For the first time, these goals will be set at the level of each individual Directorate-General. And 43 percent of non-management administrator (AD) posts should be occupied by women by 2014. These targets are based on modelling of the evolution of Commission staff until 2014 and an analysis of the available pool of candidates.

Promoting a more flexible, results-orientated workplace

Greater use will be made of flexible working methods, such as flexitime, telework and part-time working. This will require enhanced assistance, guidance and training for managers on equality policies.

Ensuring ownership at the highest level

Equal opportunities should be systematically integrated into the human resources policy of each DG. Communication efforts towards the staff should be reinforced and senior managers should be fully engaged in the policy. DGs and services will be invited regularly to monitor their performance up to 2014 in line with a common performance framework. DG HR will measure the performance of each DG on a quarterly basis and will follow-up with those that are not reaching their goals. The top performers will be awarded a performance label for a period of three years.

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