Back to: EWLA activities >> EWLA Activities - Chronology 2000 - 2007

  • The Commission adopted, on 11 December 2002, a communication 'General principles and minimum standards for consultation of interested parties by the Commission' COM(2002)704: http://europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgc/consultation/index_en.htm
    The public consultation on the preparatory consultation document ended on 31 July 2002. EWLA has sent its contribution to the Convention concerning gender mainstreaming also to the commission in this context of consultation standards.

    This is the outcome:
    Women are mentioned only once:

    p.19: In determining the relevant parties for consultation, the Commission should take into account the following elements as well:(....)
    p.20: (...) the need for a proper balance, where relevant, between the representatives of: (....) wider constituencies (e.g. churches and religious communities) and specific target groups (e.g. women, the elderly, the unemployed, or ethnic minorities).. well, women are a specific target group? This is not exactly what gender mainstreaming is all about!

    At least EWLA is mentioned p. 23 as a European professional organisation contributing to this issue.

  • Against the background of the "European Convention" and the upcoming next Intergovernmental Conference, ECSA (European Community Studies Association) Austria in co-operation with the Research Institute for European Affairs - IEF, and the Federal Economic Chamber of Austria has organized a high level conference titled "The Future Constitution of Europe: European Convention, IGC 2004, and the Prospects for European Integration" in Vienna, Austria, on November 21 and 22, 2002.

    At the conference the most renowned specialists from all over Europe discussed topical issues such as the finality of the integration process, the future of fundamental rights and European democracy, institutional and competence aspects and the eventual necessity of reorganizing the European treaties.

    EWLA was represented by its Austrian Board member, Dr. Anna Sporrer, who presented EWLA´s statements to the European Convention. Further information is available in the internet at fgr.wu-wien.ac.at/ecsa/consconf.html

  • 8 October 2002 Brussels: The Vice- President of EWLA, Sophia Spiliotipoulos represented EWLA in the Human Rights NGO Contact Group for the Convention. See her statements in the documents below.

  • EWLA has been invited to the 2nd meeting of the Contact Group of NGOs on Human Rights, 8 october 2002 (the 1st meeting took place in May, and Sophia Spiliotopoulos was elected by the NGOs which participated in it as one of the 3 spokespersons of this contact group for the Convention hearing of 25 June). This meeting was chaired again by Commissioner Vitorino who is chairing the Convention's Working Group on the Charter. EWLA was represented by its Vice- President and presented there the 5th Contribution of EWLA for the European Convention.

  • BUILDING A DEMOCRATIC EUROPE: WOMEN´S CONVENTION- MEETING OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT COMMITTEE ON WOMEN´S RIGHTS AND EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES, 2 October 2002, Brussels:
    EWLA was represented by Panayota Petroglou, member of EWLA and speaker at our Paris congress. She presented and distributed EWLA´s 5th contribution to the European Convention. The president of the Committee, Anna Karamanou, concluded the meeting by saying that all opinions converge to the effect that we need provisions in the new Treaty or Constitution which are of direct effect and can serve as a legal basis, and she repeated this in front of the Commissioner Diamantopoulou at a public hearing that took place on the same day in the afternoon, where the Commissioner presented the workprogramme of the Commission for 2003.

  • INTERNATIONAL MEETING ABOUT TRAFFICKING OF WOMEN AND SEXUAL EXPLOITATION,
    Malaga, 23-24 September 2002, organised by the Women´s Institute of Andalusia and the Regional Government of Andalusia: see attached programme EWLA was invited and represented by its President, Elisabeth Müller. She presented the resolution on trafficking of EWLA of last year and the new Council Framework Decision on Trafficking. The discussion was very lifely. Diverging opinions were expressed on the question if prostitution is a major source for trafficking and if prostitution should be abolished with riminal sanctions for clients, brothels,..but there was unanimous agreement that in any case the prostitutes themselves must not be criminalised or penalised.

  • EWLA - AFFJ Congress Paris 20-21 September 2002:
    Over the two days, 380 people attended our congress. There were a number of dignitaries among those present, i.e. three ministers of the French government, Ms Simone Veil, The German minister for justice of the Land Berlin, embassadors, presidents of other national women lawyers associations from UK, Italy, Ireland. Speakers from 18 different countries delivered excellent speeches, which will be published by Editions Dalloz (see brochure advert) and on EWLAs website. (download or read the papers presented)

  • Immigration: the role of civil society in promoting integration, organised by the European Commission and the European Economic and Social Committee, 9 and 10 September 2002 at the European Economic and Social Committee:
    EWLA was represented by its President, Elisabeth Müller. No other Women´s NGO were present. Despite EWLA was mentioning the gender dimension in the 1st and 3rd panel, the rapporteurs did not include it in their summary report! There remains a lot to do for EWLA in this area of law.
    see attached programme


    EU Consultation
    EU Commission´s consultation document: Towards a reinforced culture of consultation and dialogue ("Proposal for general principles and minimum standards for consultation of interested parties by the Commission") europa.eu.int/comm/secretariat_general/sgc/consultation/index_en.htm





    AFEM_081002_en.doc    		 STATEMENTS of the Vice- President of EWLA, Sophia Spiliotipoulos, who represented EWLA in the Human Rights NGO Contact Group for the Convention on 8 October 2002 in Brussels. (ENGLISH)