Extracts from the joint press conference by Viviane Reding and Olli Rehn on the proposal of the EC aimed at increasing gender equality in the boardrooms of listed companies
Type: Summary of press conference
Reference: I-075266
Duration: 00:03:35
Lieu:
End production: 14/11/2012 First transmission: 14/11/2012
On 14 November 2012, Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, and Olli Rehn, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro, held a joint press conference on the proposal of the EC on increasing gender equality in the boardrooms of listed companies. The proposed Directive sets an objective of a 40% presence of the under-represented sex among non-executive directors of companies listed on stock exchanges.
Only the original language version is authentic and it prevails in the event of its differing from the translated versions.
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| TIME |
DESCRIPTION |
DURATION |
| 00:00:00 |
Title |
00:00:05 |
| 00:00:05 |
Arrival of Viviane Reding, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship, and Olli Rehn, Vice-President of the EC in charge of Economic and Monetary Affairs and the Euro |
00:00:03 |
| 00:00:08 |
Cutaway of the audience |
00:00:05 |
| 00:00:13 |
SOUNDBITE by Viviane Reding (in ENGLISH) saying that it is a historic day for gender balance and for equality; after decades of empty promises and failed attempts at self-regulation, we still have an effective 85% male quota on the supervisory boards of Europe's largest companies – while women only make up 15%; this is a waste of talent when you think that 60% of university graduates are female; and that is why the Commission is taking action. |
00:00:43 |
| 00:00:56 |
Cutaway of journalists |
00:00:04 |
| 00:01:01 |
SOUNDBITE by Viviane Reding (in ENGLISH) saying that the Commission is proposing a legally biding directive introducing a 40% rule, in article 4.3; it says that if a company does not have 40% of women on its supervisory board, it will have to choose qualified women until it reaches the 40%; but it will have to choose qualified women, and this is very important; it is not about women just getting a job on a board because they are female, but it is about women to have an equal chance to men because they are qualified. |
00:00:46 |
| 00:01:48 |
Cutaway of journalists |
00:00:03 |
| 00:01:51 |
SOUNDBITE by Viviane Reding (in ENGLISH) saying that the EC's proposal has teeth: Member States have to lay down effective and dissuasive sanctions for companies in breach of the Directive; if a company has less than 40% of the underrepresented sex on its board, it will have to fill the posts with equally qualified women; and if it does not do so, there will be sanctions; the sanctions are inscribed in the legal proposal, they have to be effective and dissuasive, for example financial fees or the annulment of the appointment of the male candidates. |
00:00:49 |
| 00:02:40 |
Cutaway of journalists |
00:00:04 |
| 00:02:45 |
SOUNDBITE by Olli Rehn (in ENGLISH) saying that he is very glad to see that the Commission has given its seal to a stronger legal instrument and a political signal that it is time to move from words to deeds in the field of gender equality; he wanted to be associated to this proposal, first of all, because of its goal of achieving a higher and fairer share of women in business leadership and economic decision making; the other reason is the direct association to my portfolio of economic and monetary affairs; there is a clear economic and business case to have more women in business leadership. |
00:00:50 |
| 00:03:35 |
Cutaway of journalists (2 shots) |
00:00:10 |
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