What changed

4. Stresses that the Commission’s methodology differs from the gender equality policy marker developed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development as it does not include a score that would allow for tracking the potentially negative effects of EU spending on gender mainstreaming objectives and introduces the category of 0* for interventions with a likely but as yet unclear positive impact on gender equality; underlines that the Commission’s methodology should in any case avoid leading to unintended consequences, such as discouraging or refusing investments in sectors that are strategic yet traditionally dominated by a single gender, including the defence sector;

18. Further regretsnotes that the potential negative impacts of programmes on gender equality are notinsufficiently takenconsidered, intoparticularly account,in especiallysectors givensuch theas poorcompetitiveness, contributionsdefence toand preparedness; underlines that promoting gender equality reportedshould fornot programmeslead to restrictions or reductions in sectorsinvestments suchin ascritical competitiveness,sectors; defencecalls andon preparedness;the Commission to propose concrete measures to improve gender equality, while ensuring that investment decisions are not adversely affected;

28. CallsRecalls onthat theall CommissionEU tolegislative ensureproposals thatmust nocomply legislativewith proposalsEU shouldprimary belaw, adoptedincluding ifthe principle of gender equality; calls on the Commission to strengthen their ex ante impact assessments demonstrablyin indicateorder thatto theycarefully wouldconsider contributeand tominimise aany decreasepotential innegative effects on gender equality within the EU;EU when preparing legislative proposals;

29. Urges the Commission to establish a ‘gender equality safeguard mechanism’ as a standard part of the EU’s legislative procedures, which would require the mandatory suspension or revision of any proposal that, through clear indicators or through the analysis of the Court of Auditors, is shown to undermine the EU’s gender equality strategy and objectives;

31. Calls on the Commission to assess the feasibility of introducing further gender equality parity measures at management level and of creating quotas to ensure that all genders are sufficiently involved in policymaking through targeted support schemes;

32. Calls on the Commission to ensure that a legally binding minimum share of the EU budget is dedicated to gender equality as a principal objective (corresponding to score 2 in the current methodology);