Statements and resolutions of EWLA
1. 20 May 2006, Resolution on Fundamental Rights
2. 20 May 2006, Resolution on Enlargement
3. 20 May 2006, Resolution on Trafficking
4. 20 May 2006, Resolution on the Balanced Participation of Women and Men on the Boards of Listed Companies
5. 20 May 2006, Resolution on Gender Equality and Employment
6. April 2006, Statement on The Roadmap towards Gender Equality for the period 2006 - 2010
7. April 2006, First Comments regarding the establishment of a European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
Other Activities of EWLA
1. 16 December 2006: Board meeting of EWLA in Amsterdam.
2. 23-25 November 2006: Sophia Spiliotopoulos, Past Vice President, member of the board of EWLA, spoke at the Congress of the European Lawyers Union “Effectiveness and Efficiency of the Judicial System”, in Venice, on “The Charter of Fundamental Rights and Judicial Protection in the Member States: some concerns”, with a focus on the amendments to the Charter by the Convention and the IGC, which attempted to restrict its scope and the relevant judicial protection – an issue addressed in EWLA’s contributions to the Convention and the IGC. Speakers included the President, past President, judges and AGs of the ECJ, representatives of the European Parliament, presidents and members of international courts and national constitutional and supreme courts, academics and lawyers. The papers will be published by Bruylant (Brussels).
3. 24 October 2006: the French Association of Women Lawyers (AFFJ), organised its yearly conference in Paris, on “Equality in Law, Inequality in Practice”. AFFJ is affiliated with EWLA. Its current President, Marie-Jeanne Campana, was until recently EWLA board member, while its Past President, Caroline Bommart-Forster, is now EWLA board member. The speakers in the five panels (equality and professional life, equality and politics, civil rights and equality in France, civil rights and equality in Europe and civil rights and equality in the world) attempted, in the light of practice, to suggest solutions and courses of reflection. Among them was Sophia Spiliotopoulos, Past Vice-President of EWLA, who dealt with the issue of reconciling family and work; she also recalled EWLA’s activity regarding the European Constitution, and stressed the necessity for women lawyers to follow relevant developments and re-launch the campaign for the safeguard of the acquis in fundamental rights. The conference was a big success. As the discussions were fully recorded, they will be included in a publication, to be announced in due time on EWLA’s website.
4. 24 October 2006: The Minister of Social Affairs in Iceland handed out the Equal Rights Award of the Equal Rights Council for 2006 and announced those who had been nominated: Two banks, one NGO and one individual, prof. Herdís Thorgeirsdóttir, Vice President of EWLA. This is the second time Dr. Thorgeirsdóttir is nominated, the first time being in 2004.
5. 10 October 2006: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, gave a presentation on EWLA’s activities at the exhibition “100 Years of Women’s Votes and Activities” in Helsinki, Finland.
6. 9 October 2006: Deuxième Dîner Festif des Juristes & Entrepreneures in Paris at Hôtel Sofitel Arc-de-Triomphe. Joint event of EWLA and the Women Interest Group (Paris Group) of the International Bar Association (IBA) and Le Salon des Juristes (a website founded by Odile Lajoix and Nicole van Crombrugghe among others). Odile Lajoix, a French EWLA member, organized the event for EWLA and these other associations. Eighteen representatives of associations of lawyers or entrepreneurs attended with 69 participants altogether. The successful event attracted even more participants than the Dîner Festif of July 11, 2005. The website www.lesalondesjuristes.com includes many associations’ mail addresses in the page "Liens" and announcements of conferences.
7. 4 October 2006: Media of several countries, e.g. The Times and BBC, published comments on the Cadman judgement of the European Court of Justice given by Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA.
8. 29 September 2006: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, gave a speech at the Conference Mobility and Equality: Entrepreneurial Participation Towards a European Labour Market, Riga, Latvia.
9. 15 September 2006: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, gave a speech on promoting gender equality in working life at the Conference Law and Gender Studies, Zürich, Switzerland.
10. 1-2 June 2006: Iceland - Network III - The Empowerment of Women - third annual conference initiated and organized by Dr. Herdís Thorgeirsdóttir, Professor at the Department of Law at Bifrost University and Vice President of EWLA. The conference was the largest annual conference in Iceland in 2006 with the participation of 400 women from different disciplines in Iceland. Famous feminist German Greer was key speaker at the conference, evoking much media attention. The foreign minister held a reception for the participants at the closing of the conference. The conference issued a resolution on the need for legislation to achieve gender equality on the board of listed companies where women are now 4.4 percent.
Herdís Thorgeirsdóttir was subsequently named one of Iceland's top twenty powerful women by an outstanding Business Review - publishing a list of Iceland's 80 most influential women.
11. 21 May 2006: meeting of the board of EWLA.
12. 20 May 2006: The Honorary Membership of Ms Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe, was announced at the General Assembly of EWLA in Budapest.
13. 20 May 2006: The General Assembly of EWLA was held in Budapest.
14. 20 May 2006: Networking lunch in Budapest for the presidents or other representatives of national women lawyers associations.
15. 27 April 2006: Dace Liga Luters-Thümmel, board member of EWLA, represented EWLA at an informal meeting with NGOs at the Austrian Permanent Representation to the EU, regarding the establishment of a Fundamental Rights Agency for the EU.
16. 24 April 2006: General Assembly of EWLA. The agenda of the meeting concerned the article of association of EWLA as follows:
· ratification of the modifications passed on 17 March 2005
· amendment of article 9.2
· amendment of article 10.1
· amendment of article 10.5
· amendment of article 14
· coordination of the articles of association.
17. 14 February 2006: meeting of the board of EWLA.
6th Congress of EWLA:
19-20 May 2006 in Budapest
"The Future of European Law from Women Lawyers' Perspective"
The congress venue was the Budapest Bar Association. The congress was organized in cooperation with the Hungarian Women Lawyers Association. The congress started with plenary sessions. Their topics included THE PERIOD OF REFLECTION ON THE FUTURE OF THE UNION. The plenary speakers included Ms Christine Stix-Hackl, First Advocate General, Court of Justice of the European Communities, Ms Kinga Gál (HU), Member of the European Parliament, Rapporteur on the Fundamental Rights Agency, Ms Katalin Lévai (HU), Vice-Chairwomen, Legal Affairs Committee of the European Parliament, Dr h.c. Renate Jaeger, Judge at the European Court of Human Rights, Dr. Clemens Ladenburger, Member of the Legal Service of the European Commission and Dr. Daniela Bankier, Head of Unit, Equality Action against Discrimination, Legal Aspects.
The congress workshops included the following topics:
· LEGAL EDUCATION IN EUROPE – will future changes make a difference for women?
· BUSINESS LAW - Corporate Governance
· CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY
· ENLARGEMENT
· GENDER EQUALITY AND EMPLOYMENT
· TRAFFICKING IN HUMAN BEINGS - The protection of Victims' Rights: New Legislation and Strategies
· THE FUTURE OF THE UNION AND FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS
Conferences and seminars of EWLA
Lecture Series of Free University Berlin in cooperation with EWLA and the German Women Lawyers' Association (DJB)
Professor Dr Beate Rudolf, EWLA Board member from Germany, organized a series of lectures with the theme European Law from Women Lawyers' Perspective in cooperation with EWLA and Deutscher Juristinnenbund (German Women Layers Association) every Thursday starting on 2 November, 2006. The venue was Free University, Berlin. Lectures were held in German. A lecture on Women's Rights and the (Future) Fundamental Rights Agency were held in English by Sophia Spiliotopoulos, Past Vice President of EWLA, on 8 February 2007. Speakers included other EWLA members also.
Europarecht aus Frauensicht: Stand und Perspektiven
2.11.2006: Die Gleichberechtigung der Geschlechter als Kriterium für die Beitrittsreife eines Staates – Ein Praxisbericht
Gisela Lange, Bundesministerium für Gesundheit, Berlin
9.11.2006: Die Gleichstellung der Geschlechter in der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit der Europäischen Union
Dorothee Kuon, Freie Universität Berlin
16.11.2006: Die Zukunft der europäischen Verteidigungspolitik
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Heike Krieger, Freie Universität Berlin
23.11.2006: Neuere Entwicklungen im Recht der „Dritten Säule“ der EU
Dr. Sigrid Boysen, Freie Universität Berlin
30.11.2006: Neuere Entwicklungen der Unionsbürgerschaft
Alexandra Rüth, LL.M. (Eur.), Rechtsanwältin, Brüssel
7.12.2006: Frauenrechte in der Europäischen Menschenrechtskonvention
Dr. Julia Platter, Freie Universität Berlin
14.12.2006: Frauenrechte in der Europäischen Sozialcharta
Mirja Trilsch, LL.M. (McGill), Montreal
11.01.2007: Die Bekämpfung der Diskriminierung aufgrund des Geschlechts durch das Europarecht – Stand und Ausblick
Prof. Dr. Christa Tobler, LL.M., Universität Basel
18.01.2007: Gleichheit der Geschlechter oder Förderung von Diversity?
– Leitbilder des europäischen Antidiskriminierungsrechts
Andrea Eriksson, Freie Universität Berlin
25.01.2007: Der Beitrag des europäischen Sozialdialogs zur Gleichstellung der Geschlechter
Gabriele Bischoff, Bundesministerium für Arbeit und Soziales, Berlin
1.02.2007: Die europäische Dienstleistungsrichtlinie aus frauenrechtlicher Sicht
Prof. Dr. Beate Rudolf, Freie Universität Berlin
8.02.2007: Women’s Rights and the (Future) Fundamental Rights Agency
Sophia Spiliotopoulos, Rechtsanwältin und Vizepräsidentin der EWLA, Athen
15.02.2007: Die Diskussion um eine Europäische Verfassung aus Frauensicht
Sabine Overkämping, Ministerium für Gesundheit und Soziales des Landes Sachsen-Anhalt
Donnerstags, 18-20 Uhr, Fachbereich Rechtswissenschaft, Hörsaal III, Van’t-Hoff-Str. 8, 14195 Berlin
The title of the kick-off lecture was “Gender equality as a criterion for accession to the EU.” It was given by Ms Gisela Lange, a senior officer at the German Ministry of Health who is both an EWLA and djb member. Mrs. Lange shared the insights she gained between 1995 and 2000, when she served as a temporary agent at the European Commission to prepare the accession of the ten new member states. The animated discussion after her presentation focused on the conditions for Turkey’s acceding to the EU, and it was enriched by Mrs. Lange’s experience from a two-year stay in Turkey as the leader of an EU sponsored ILO project to promote social dialogue in the Turkish Textile sector.
Dorothee Kuon, a doctoral candidate at Free University, made a presentation on “Gender equality in EU development cooperation.” Ms Kuon explained the changes in the legal background and the different stages that were necessary to make gender equality a central concept in the agreements of the EU and its member states with developing states, such as the Cotonou Agreement with the ACP(African, Caribbean, Pacific)GStates. However, the lofty ideals of gender equality and their heightened status under such agreements stand in stark contrast to the reduced budget for the promotion of women’s projects under the new financial outlook for 2007. Nevertheless, Ms Kuon’s presentation ended with a positive note when she presented some successful development cooperation projects.
“The future of European defence politics” was the topic of the lecture given by Dr. Heike Krieger, the newly appointed holder of the chair in public international law at Free University. Professor Krieger drew a comprehensive picture of the development of European defence cooperation and put particular emphasis on the relevant political situations and factors that influenced the positions in favour of NATO-structures or those favouring greater EU responsibility. Analyzing the Draft Constitutional Treaty, Professor Krieger concluded that its entry into force would not transform the EU into a “super-state:”
Alexandra Rüth, a Brussels-based lawyer, spoke on “New developments concerning EU citizenship” Ms Rüth, who is an expert in European Community law and holds an LL.M. in this field of law from the College of Europe in Bruges, showed how the ECJ gave Union citizenship a broad scope of application. Focussing on the student members in the audience, Ms Rüth analysed the development of the case law of the ECJ in this area, thus exemplifying the practical importance of EU citizenship. In the ensuing discussion, questions were raised as to separating EU citizenship from the nationality of a member state in order to include family members or long-time residents from third countries.
Looking beyond EU law, Dr. Julia Platter spoke on “Women’s rights within the European Convention on Human Rights.” Dr. Platter, who is a lecturer at the Free University, examined leading cases of the European Court of Justice that helped put women’s issues, such as rape, abortion, or domestic slavery, on the agenda of the Convention. She showed how the Court, true to its understanding of the Convention as a “living instrument”, has gradually adopted a gendered view of the rights enshrined in the Convention. Most notably, the concept of “positive obligations” arising from the Convention rights has proved highly useful in ensuring effective human rights protection for women.
The look beyond EU law was complemented by the presentation on “Women’s Rights in the European Social Charter.” Mirja Trilsch, who earned an LL.M. at McGill University and recently submitted her doctoral thesis on economic and social rights, explained the particular regime of the European Social Charter and its newly created monitoring mechanism, the Collective Complaints procedure. She criticized the German government’s scepticism towards social rights in general and towards the European Social Charter in particular. Drawing on case law of the European Committee on Social Rights, Mrs. Trilsch illustrated the European Social Charter’s potential to address rights issues arising in women’s professional and family lives.
The contributions to the lecture series will be published in winter 2007 (in German).
COMPANY LAW
In cooperation with Naisjuristit – Kvinnliga Jurister ry, Finnish Women Laywyers Association
Helsinki, 24 November, 2006
Language: Finnish
EWLA organized a Company Law Conference in cooperation with Naisjuristit – Kvinnliga Jurister ry, Finnish
Women Laywyers Association. The new Finnish Companies Act entered into force on 1 September, 2006. Helsinki Takeover Code was scheduled to be given in December. These and many other company law issues including taxation and auditing were presented to the audience by a number of women experts. Women’s participation in boards of listed companies was eagerly discussed. Ms. Tiina Astola, Director of Legislation at the Ministry of Justice gave the closing speech of the conference.
There was no conference fee for EWLA members. The conference venue will be Deloitte House, Porkkalankatu 24, Helsinki. The conference was possible through generous sponsorship of Deloitte Finland.
LE DROIT FACE A LA MÉDECINE : GARDE-FOU OU TROUBLE FETE ?
Répercussions du droit dans le cycle de la vie
Brussels, 19 October 2006
On 19th November, EWLA held a medical law Conference in Brussels, organised by our Treasurer, Nicole van
Crombrugghe. The Conference was supported in part by sponsorship from GlaxoSmithKlein. The opening speech of EWLA’s medical law conference was be given by Dr. Daniela Bankier, Head of Unit, Equality Action against Discrimination, Legal Aspects, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities DG, European Commission. The conference venue was Sofitel Brussels Toison d’Or Hotel. The conference contributions have been published as the book “Médecine et Droit” in April 2007.
EWLA in 2005
Statements and resolutions of EWLA
1. 6 December 2005: First Position on the "Period of Reflection" on the Future of the Union, accompanied by a statement on the current status of the Charter if Fundamental Rights of the EU, drafted at the request of the European Ombudsman’s services.
2. 13 October, 2005: EWLA gave its opinion to the Gender Equality Unit of the European Parliament on Indirect discrimination concerning the EPSO competition notices.
3. September 2005: EWLA gave a response paper to the Commission concerning the Green Paper on applicable law and jurisdiction in divorce matters.
4. 02 July 2005: 3rd Statement of EWLA on the Proposal for a Directive of the EP and the Council on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (recast version) COM(2004) 279 final.
5. 26 April 2005 2nd Statement of EWLA on the Proposal for a Directive of the EP and the Council on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (recast version) COM(2004) 279 final
6. 09 March 2005: Statement of EWLA on the Proposal for a Directive of the EP and the Council on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (recast version) COM(2004) 279 final
7. Resolution - Treaty on a Constitution for Europe (Strasbourg, 18 March 2005)
8. Resolution - Sexual and Reproductive Rights (Strasbourg, 18 March 2005)
9. Resolution - Trafficking in Human Beings (Strasbourg, 18 March 2005)
5th Congress of EWLA:
16-18 March 2005 in Strasbourg: “Access to Justice”
The Congress was held at the Council of Europe. A part of the congress was held at the European Court of Human Rights. Speakers included Ms. Maud de Boer-Buquicchio, Deputy Secretary General of the Council of Europe; Mr. Jean-Paul Costa, Vice-President of the European Court of Human Rights; Mr. Peter Jann, President of the First Chamber of the Court of Justice of the European Communities; Mr. Bo Vesterdorf, President of the First Instance Court of the European Communities; Mr. Jean-Michel Berlorgey, President of the European Committee of Social Rights; Ms. Catherine Lalumière, President of the House of Europe οf Paris, former Secretary General of the Council of Europe; Professor Nikiforos Diamandouros, European Ombudsman and Mr. Markus Jaeger, Deputy to the Director, Office of the Commissioner for Human Rights.
Other Activities of EWLA
1. End December: the special issue of the Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law, 2005, vol. 12, No 4, “Thirty years of EU Sex Equality Law” (ed. Tamara Hervey), includes a paper presented by Sophia Spiliotopoulos, past Vice-President, board member of EWLA, at the Expert Seminar in the Hague, in November 2004, on “The amended Equal Treatment Directive (2002/73): an expression of constitutional principles/rights”. This paper also presents the contribution of EWLA to the elaboration of the gender equality Recast Directive (supra Nos 3-6, infra Nos 18 and 21) and points out that most of EWLA’s proposals were endorsed by the European Parliament and the Commission. The same issue includes papers by EWLA members Rikki Holtmaat and Christa Tobler, “CEDAW and the EU Policy in the Field of Combating Gender Discrimination” and Dagmar Schiek, “Broadening the Scope and the Norms of EU Gender Equality Law”.
2. 6 December 2005: Sophia Spiliotopoulos, past Vice-President, board member of EWLA, and Christiane Bourloyannis, EWLA member, represented EWLA at a public workshop to mark ten years of the European Ombudsman institution and submitted EWLA’s First Position on the "Period of Reflection" on the Future of the Union, as well as a statement on the current status of the Charter if Fundamental Rights of the EU at the request of the Ombudsman’s services.
3. 6 December 2005: Emma Ries, member of EWLA, represented EWLA at a public hearing of the European Commission on the Green Paper on applicable law and jurisdiction in divorce matters
4. 6 December 2005: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, attended the Independence Day Reception at the President’s Castle by the invitation of the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen.
5. 11 November 2005: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, chaired the 60th Anniversary Seminar of the Women Lawyers Association in Finland. The President of Finland Tarja Halonen was the key speaker of the seminar. Linnainmaa also attended the Anniversary Gala Dinner where the Minister of Justice of Finland, Leena Luhtanen gave a speech.
6. 7-8 November 2005: Sophia Spiliotopoulos, past Vice-President, board member of EWLA, and Sophie Dimitroulias, EWLA member, represented EWLA at the European Economic and Social Committee’s Forum “Bridging the gap: how to bring Europe and its citizens closer together””.
7. 28 September 2005: Iva Jermanová, board member from the Czech Republic, represented EWLA on the Cocktail and Dinner organised by the Centre for International Legal Studies on the occasion of the International Bar Association Convention in Prague.
8. 07-09 September 2005: European Jurists Forum, Geneva. EWLA was represented by its Swiss Board member, Professor Regula Kaegi- Diener, and its Past President, Elisabeth Mueller.
9. 12 July 2005: Christiane Bourloyannis, EWLA member, represented EWLA at the meeting of the European Economic and Social Committee on the European Social Model.
10. 11 July, 2005, Joint event EWLA/WIG in Paris. A dinner was organized by EWLA with the Women Interest Group (Paris Group) of the International Bar Association (IBA) on Monday July 11, 2005 at the Sofitel Arc-de-Triomphe. Other Associations represented were AME and GEMME. Mrs Noelle Lenoir, former Minister for European Affairs in France, gave a speech on Europe and the functions of the Ministry for European Affairs. Eight Chairwomen or representatives of lawyers association and 55 attendants participated.
11. 23 June 2005, Brussels, Belgium: Past President Elisabeth Mueller represented EWLA at a meeting with participants of a study trip on European politics from a gender perspective. The trip was organized by The Women’s Academy, Munich, a non-university institute for research and education. The group consisted of 23 women from Germany, Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia.
12. June 2005, The European Lawyer magazine published in its issue 49 an article on EWLA’s congress in Strasbourg by EWLA’s President Leena Linnainmaa. The headline of the article was Women lawyers tackle trafficking.
13. 26 and 27 May 2005, Iceland: Network II - The Financial Empowerment of Women - second annual conference initiated and organized by Dr. Herdís Thorgeirsdóttir, Professor at the Department of Law at Bifröst University and Vice President of EWLA. The conference was attended by 200 women of different disciplines in Iceland. The President of Iceland, Dr. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson, held a reception for the participants at the presidential residence Bessastadir at the closing of the conference. Herdís invited Elisabeth Mueller, Past President of EWLA to come and speak at this popular event. She spoke about "Men on procreation strike - why academic women are childless to 40% in Germany”. She also introduced EWLA and its activities.
14. 19 May 2005: Elisabeth Müller, Founding President of EWLA, represented EWLA at the Foundation of the Latin American Women Lawyers Association, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and spoke on the founding process of EWLA
15. 5 May, 2005: Helvi Sipilä was elected by the board as EWLA’s first honorary member to celebrate her 90th anniversary. Helvi Sipilä qualified in 1939 as Master of Laws. She was the second woman in Finnish history to open her own practice as a lawyer in 1943, often representing women in court cases. In 1972 she became assistant secretary-general of the United Nations – the first woman to hold this post. During her almost ten years of service, she led the United Nations in declaring 1975 International Women’s Year and was instrumental in the first world conference for the advancement of women, the predecessor to the Nairobi and Beijing conferences. Ms Sipilä also set up UNIFEM, the UN fund supporting women in developing nations. Ms Sipilä holds honorary doctorates from 12 universities. In 1954-1956 she was President of the International Federation of Female Lawyers. She has also been actively involved in the International Council of Women and is Past International President of Zonta. She was a founding member of the Finnish Women Lawyers Association in 1945. In 1965 she founded Finland’s Refugee Council. She is Honorary President of the National Council of Women of Finland. In 1982 she was the first woman to be a Finnish Presidential candidate. Helvi Sipilä became the first recipient of the International Bar Association’s Outstanding International Woman Lawyer Award in 2001. In Finland she has been awarded the title Minister.
16. 22 April, 2005: EWLA Board meeting in Brussels.
17. 19 April, 2005: Bruxelles Communauté française- invitation de la Ministre Présidente du Gouvernement de la Communauté française en charge de l’égalité des chances, mme Marie Aréna: L’Europe: quels enjeux et quelles perspectives pour l’égalité entre femmes et hommes? Past President Elisabeth Mueller presented the history of equality legislation in the EU, EWLA´s work on the constitution, and the latest resolution of March 2005.
18. 03-05 April 2005: Leena Linnainmaa, President of EWLA, represented EWLA at the Think EQUAL! European Conference, Frankfurt/M and spoke on Forum 7 Between Judiciary & Executive – legal Requirements and Parameters.
19. 16 March 2005: Vice President Sophia Spiliotopoulos presented the statement of EWLA on the Proposal for a Directive of the EP and the Council on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation (recast version) COM(2004) 279 final in Brussels at a meeting of the FEMM Committee of the European Parliament.
20. 05 March 2005. Judith Willis, Board Member UK, represented EWLA at the “Women Lawyers Forum” in London.
21. 04 March 2005 Conference “Institutions of Gender Equality: Legal Order and Reality“, Budapest, Friedrich Ebert Foundation; EWLA was represented by Professor Csilla Kollonay Lehoczky (HU).
22. 23 February 2005: Vice President Sophia Spiliotopoulos presented a paper for EWLA at the informal meeting with Mrs Niebler, the shadow-rapporteurs and the draftspersons on the 'recast' - directive in Strasbourg, European Parliament, FEMM- Committee.
23. 02-04 February 2005: Conference of the Luxemburg presidency on Beijing +10, Luxemburg; Conférence présidentielle Pékin + 10- EWLA gave a statement on Feb. 2, between 16.30-18.00. EWLA was represented by President Elisabeth Müller (D), and the Board Members Anna Sporrer (A) and Viviane Ecker (LUX).
EWLA in 2004
Statements and resolutions of EWLA
10. 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.
11. 30 August 2004: Response to the Commission’s Green Paper on Equality and Non-discrimination in an Enlarged European Union.
12. 05 April 2004: 3rd Appeal to the Intergovernmental Conference.
13. 29 March 2004: 6th Position on the adoption of a Directive on gender Equality in fields not covered by Article 141 TEC.
14. 21 January 2004: 2nd Appeal to the Intergovernmental Conference.
Conferences
14 May 2004 in Prague
“New Trends and Developments in Law and for Lawyers in Europe & Launching of the Czech Women Lawyers Conference”
This European Conference was co-organized and supported by EWLA.
Other Activities of EWLA
1. 15 December 2004: Elisabeth Mueller, president of EWLA, represented EWLA at the XXXVe Anniversary of the AFJE (Association Française des Juristes d´Entreprise- French Corporate Counsel Association) in Paris, 15 December 2005, and met with the President and the Past president of the French Women Lawyers Association (preparations for the Strasbourg Congress of EWLA).
2. 20 November 2004: Elisabeth Mueller, president of EWLA, spoke at the Expert Conference “Progressive Implementation; New developments in European Union Gender Equality Law”, organized under the Dutch EU Presidency by the Grotius Centre, University of Leiden, 20-21 October 2004, The Hague, on: “Forward looking strategies: What is on our agenda for the coming years?”
3. 20 November 2004: EWLA Board meeting The Hague.
4. 21 October 2004: Elisabeth Mueller, president of EWLA, represented EWLA at the European Conference of the Council of Europe « The Civil Code and Europe : Influence and modernity” Palais de l’Europe, Strasbourg, 21 and 22 October 2004.
5. 01 October 2004: Viviane Ecker and Anna Sporrer, Board members from Luxemburg and Austria, represented EWLA at the Conference of the Hungarian Women Advocates Association on 1 October 2004 in Budapest/ Hungary.
6. 01 October 2004 Elisabeth Mueller, President of EWLA and Board member for Germany, spoke at the 4th Women’s Political Banquet at the castle of Hambach, Germany, on “The viewpoint of Women Lawyers on the European Constitution: What could be (not) achieved?”
7. 27 September 2004: EWLA Board Meeting Brussels.
8. 24-25 September 2004: European Community Studies Association – Denmark Annual Conference 2004, University of Southern Denmark, Odense: Sophia Spiliotopoulos, Vice- president of EWLA, spoke on “From Nice to the Draft Constitutional Treaty and beyond: Which Charter and which fundamental rights?”
9. 23-24 September 2004: International Congress of the FIFCJ (Fédération Internationale des Femmes des Carrières Juridiques) “Law and Finance- The Contribution of Women Lawyers”, Milano; EWLA was represented by its President, Elisabeth Mueller.
10. 16- 18 June 2004: International Conference Berlin Towards Power: Women in Decision Making Positions in the Economic Sector. EWLA was represented by its President, Elisabeth Mueller, who participated in the Panel: “Priority theme 2: Gender Equality- the legal situation on the EU level.”
11. 30 April 2004: International Bar Association- Women´s Interest Group France, Paris, has invited EWLA to speak on „The advantages of Networking for Women Jurists/ Lawyers on international, European, and national level”. EWLA was represented by its President, Elisabeth Müller.
12. 30 April 2004: General Secretary of EWLA María Durán- Febrer participated in the Seminar "Seminario Derechos fundamentales y género", Barcelona.
13. 06 April 2004: Sophia Spiliotopoulos was invited as a representative of EWLA and AFEM and an expert to a meeting of the FEMM Committee of the EP and the Network of Parliamentary Commissions for Gender Equality.
14. 15 March 2004: EWLA President Elisabeth Mueller presents the work of EWLA at the Meeting of the German WLA Branch in Munich.
15. 30 January 2004: EWLA Business Law group Meeting, Paris.
EWLA in 2003
Statements and Resolutions of EWLA
15. 03 December 2003: 5th Position on the adoption of a Directive on gender Equality in fields not covered by Article 141 TEC.
16. 03 November 2003: 4th Position on the adoption of a Directive on gender Equality in fields not covered by Article 141 TEC.
17. 30 September 2003: First Appeal to the Intergovernmental Conference.
18. 5 September 2003: 3rd Position on the adoption of a Directive on gender Equality in fields not covered by Article 141 TEC.
19. 26 June 2003: 2nd Statement of EWLA on the Article 13 Gender Equality Directive and the Inadequacies of the Draft EU Constitution.
20. 21 June 2003: 12th Contribution of EWLA on the Future of the Union Following the Thessaloniki Council.
21. 08 June 2003: Resolution of EWLA on the Constitutional Treaty of the European Union, General Assembly, Helsinki.
22. 086 June 2003: Resolution of EWLA on Trafficking in Human Beings regarding a Future European Convention on Trafficking in Human Beings, General Assembly, Helsinki.
23. 08 June 2003: Resolution of EWLA on European Immigration, Asylum and Refugee Legislation and Gender Mainstreaming, General Assembly, Helsinki.
24. 23 February 2004: 10th Contribution of EWLA on the Constitutional Treaty of the European Union- Comments on the Draft of Articles 1-16 of the Constitutional Treaty- Renewed Appeal.
25. 03 February 2003: 9th Contribution of EWLA on the Future of the European Union- Comments on the Revised Preliminary Draft Report of the Working Group “Social Europe” – Appeal to the European Convention and Civil Society.
26. 22 January 2003: 8th Contribution of EWLA on the Future of the European Union – First Comments on the Preliminary Draft Constitutional Treaty.
4th Congress of EWLA
4-6 June 2003 in Helsinki, Finland
“The Future of Europe: Enlargement”
In cooperation with Naisjuristit – Kvinnliga Jurister ry – Women Lawyers in Finland. The topic of the congress was The Future of Europe: Enlargement. The congress was supported by Tarja Halonen, the President of the Republic of Finland. Among others the congress was sponsored by The Finnish Representation of the European Commission. The Congress was held at the House of the Estates.
Other Activities of EWLA
1. 22 November 2003, Irish Women Lawyers Association IWLA (www.iwla.ie ), Dublin, Ireland, Conference “Women in Law in Europe” ; Elisabeth Mueller, President EWLA, speech on “Women in Law in Europe”; the other invited speaker is Fidelma Macken, Judge ECJ, also speaker at EWLA´s Founding congress in Berlin in 2000.
2. 20-21 November 2003, Sevilla, Spain, INTERNATIONAL MEETING ABOUT LOCAL POLICIES FOR THE ERADICATION OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN, Elisabeth Mueller, President EWLA, speech on “Judicial treatment of violence against women in the European framework”.
3. 10 November 2003, Goettingen, Germany: Workshop on the Convention and the new European Constitutional Treaty; Elisabeth Mueller, President EWLA, speech on EWLA´s lobbying work for EWLA´s statements, especially for the Convention and the IGC.
4. 05-06 November 2003 Brussels, ELDR Meeting: Sophia Spiliotopoulos, Vice president EWLA: speech on “Convention and Gender”; Annick Masselot, speech on “New EU law on gender equality, sex discrimination outside the workplace” (presentation of EWLA´s statements on the Art. 13 Directive).
5. 03 October 2003, Paris: Meeting of the Steering Committee of EWLA´s Business Law Working Group).
6. 10 September 2003, Brussels, Sex discrimination outside the workplace Hearing – European Parliament, Committee on Women’s Rights and Equal Opportunities, EWLA member Elena Savia represented EWLA.
7. 29 June 2003: World Women Bar leaders and Executives Day, International Bar Association, London; EWLA was represented by its President and its Board Members from Finland (Leena Linnainmaa).
8. 2nd World Women Lawyers Conference of the International Bar Association, London; EWLA was represented by its President and its Board Members from Belgium (Nicole van Crombrugghe), Finland (Leena Linnainmaa) and UK (Judith Willis); EWLA had a stand with its Positions and Papers.
9. 30 April- 03 May 2003: 2nd European Jurists Forum Athens; EWLA was represented by its President and its Vice- President; EWLA had a stand with its Positions and Papers.
10. 02 April 2003: Collaboration with the Greek League for Women’s Rights to organize a European Conference on 2 April 2003 in Athens, within the framework of the Greek Presidency of the European Union and with the support of the Greek General Secretariat for Equality, on “Social Rights: a Lever for Equality. Proposals for the European Constitution”. EWLA was represented by its President and its Vice-President.
11. 04 March 2003 the European Commission organized a conference on GENDER EQUALITY AND EUROPE’S FUTURE. EWLA was represented by its Vice-president Sophia Spiliotopoulos.
12. 27-28 February 2003: EWLA has been invited to the Conference of the Economic and Social Council of Greece and the Greek Presidency on Immigration - Economic and Social Integration of Immigrants, Athens. EWLA was represented by its President Elisabeth Müller.
13. 20 February 2003 The EP held a Hearing of the European Parliament on the new Equal treatment directive EC 2002/73/EG (ex 76/207/EEC) in Brussels. EWLA was represented by its member Karen Erdmenger.
14. 31 January 2003: The Council of Europe has initiated a Expert Committee on the inclusion of gender specificity in health actions. Its inaugural session was held on Jan 31, 2003. EWLA was represented by Dr. Patrina Paparrigopoulou, who is teaching medical law at the Law Faculty of Athens University.
EWLA in 2002
Statements of EWLA
27. 5 November 2002. 7th Contribution of EWLA on the Future of the European Union European Convention - Call to support the Creation of a Working Group on Social Issues.
28. 27 October 2002: 6th Contribution of EWLA on the Future of the European Union- response to the Final report of the Working Group “Charter”.
29. 27 September 2002: 5th Contribution of EWLA on the Future of the European Union.
30. 05 June 2002: 4th Contribution of EWLA on the Future of the European Union.
31. 05 June 2002: 3rd Contribution of EWLA on the Future of the European Union- What role should be given to Civil Dialogue?
32. 23 May 2002: 2nd Contribution of EWLA to the European Convention- Including Discussion on gender issues at the very heart of the Convention.
33. April 2002: 1st 8th Contribution of EWLA on Presented to the European Convention.
34. March 2002 First Position of EWLA on the Article 13 Gender Equality Directive.
3rd Congress of EWLA
20-21 September 2002 in Paris
“Gender Equality and Professional Life- Current Developments in Europe”
The congress was organized in cooperation with AFFJ (Association Française des Femmes Juristes). The papers of this conference are published by Dalloz under the title: “L’égalité entre femmes et hommes et la vie professionelle. Le point sur les développements actuels in Europe. Sous la direction de AFFJ et EWLA, Paris, 2003, 307 p.
Other Activities of EWLA
1. 11 December 2002: 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. 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.
2. 21-22 November 2002: Against the background of
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