EWLA

EWLA comments on the occasion of the signing of the EU Constitutional Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, on 29 October:

Resolution



5 November 2004: EU Constitutional Treaty: Statement on the occasion of the signing of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, on 29 October, by the heads of State and government of the Member States and in preparation of the Session of Dialogue of the European Economic and Social Committee aimed at gathering the views of representatives of civil society organisations and networks on the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, held on Tuesday 9th November 2004 at the EESC Headquarters in Brussels.



EWLA statement regarding the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, 5 November 2004:


On the occasion of the signing of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, on 29 October, by the heads of State and government of the Member States:

Following its very active participation in the pubic debate on the future of Europe and on the drafting of this Treaty, during which it presented 12 contributions to the Convention and 4 Appeals to the IGC (See Convention Forum website, ICG Futurum website and EWLA website)

I EWLA welcomes the express mention of “gender equality” in Article 2 of the Constitution (the Union’s values), which aims at safeguarding a fundamental feature of the European identity.

Gender equality is a fundamental human right, whose respect and promotion, in law and in practice, is required of Member States and any European State which wishes to be a candidate for accession.

This was a demand that was consistently put forward by EWLA, in collaboration with more than 200 international, European and national NGOs, to the mobilization of which EWLA contributed.

These NGOs endorsed the Conclusions of the European Conference on “Social Rights, a Lever for Equality. Proposals for the European Constitution“, organised by the Greek League for Women’s Rights, the International Alliance of Women (IAW), EWLA and the Association of Women of Southern Europe (AFEM), within the framework of the Greek Presidency, on 2 April 2003 (The list of these NGOs is annexed to the 3rd Appeal and the Ultimate Appeal of EWLA to the IGC).

This demand was supported by the EP Plenary, on the initiative of MEPs Lone Dybkjaer and Pervenche Berès, the EP FEMM Commission, under the Presidency of Anna Karamanou, with the contribution of the EPP coordinator Rodi Kratsa, and the “Network of EU Parliamentary Committees for Equal Opportunities for Women and Men”. The final text of Article 2, including the addition of gender equality, was achieved by the Irish Presidency.

EWLA thanks very warmly all those who contributed to this development.

II EWLA welcomes the incorporation of the Charter of Fundamental Rights in Part II of the Constitution as part of acquis in fundamental rights whose continuity is ensured according to the Preamble to the Constitutional Treaty.

III EWLA welcomes also that the Gender mainstreaming clause (Article III-116) expressly applies to all policies of the Union, and that the IGC agreed in the 13th declaration on Article III-116 (See Document CIG 87 ADD 2 page 96) that, in its general efforts to eliminate inequalities between women and men, the Union will aim in its different policies to combat all kinds of domestic violence and that the Member States should take all necessary measures to prevent and punish these criminal acts and to support and protect the victims.

IV EWLA welcomes also the provisions in Articles I-47 and I-50, which ensure the participation of civil society in the promotion of good EU governance through the transparency of the action of EU institutions, and an open, transparent and regular dialogue of these institutions with civil society.

In that respect EWLA will continue to cooperate with all the institutions of the EU and welcomes very much the dialogue initiated by the EESC.

V EWLA has already discussed the new Draft Constitutional Treaty to civil society, and in particular to lawyers, in the Member States by organizing conferences (especially in Prague on May, 14, 2004), and will continue to do so at its next Congress in Strasbourg, on March 17-18, 2005, and by organizing and participating in conferences and seminars (See EWLA´s website under activities and events). EWLA will in particular contribute to the most effective application of the Charter and all the other fundamental rights that form an integral part of the acquis.