On the 2024 budget – assessing the implementation of the gender mainstreaming methodology in the EU budget
A-10-2025-0212
Committee on Budgetary Control · Rapporteur: Marit Maij
- Voted on · Adopted 389–213–36 · See the decision →
- Full procedure 2025/2033
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This resolution assesses the implementation of the gender mainstreaming methodology in the EU budget for 2021-2024, noting its limitations and calling for a comprehensive approach for the next programming period.¶¶¶ It calls on the Commission to develop a fully fledged gender budgeting methodology, conduct ex ante impact assessments, set spending targets, and ensure gender balance in institutions.¶¶
Committee position. The Committee on Budgetary Control proposes a resolution that assesses the implementation of the gender mainstreaming methodology and calls for a comprehensive approach for the next MFF.¶¶
Key points
- Notes the Commission's pilot methodology assigns scores to programmes based on their contribution to gender equality, with scores of 2, 1, 0, and 0*.¶¶¶
- Regrets that the methodology cannot assess administrative budgets, does not capture negative impacts or intersectional dimensions, and is ex post, limiting its influence on policy design.¶¶¶
- Calls on the Commission to develop a comprehensive gender budgeting methodology for the next programming period, operational from its start, with transformative potential.¶
- Calls for systematic ex ante impact assessments of EU policies and fiscal measures on gender equality, and for no legislative proposals to be adopted if they would decrease gender equality.¶¶
- Urges the Commission to establish a 'gender equality safeguard mechanism' to suspend or revise proposals that undermine gender equality objectives.¶
- Calls on the Commission to ensure a legally binding minimum share of the EU budget is dedicated to gender equality as a principal objective, and to explore setting a quantitative target for the next programming period.¶¶
- Calls for the next generation of programmes to include objectives for collecting gender-disaggregated data and for the Commission to improve its tracking methodology using digital tools.¶
- Calls for allocating 25% of EU external financing instruments to gender equality as a principal objective and establishing a dedicated fund to promote gender equality globally.¶
- Calls on the Commission to set objectives for narrowing gender pay and pension gaps and addressing women's poverty, including through improved childcare services.¶
- Calls on EU institutions to analyse and report on gender pay gaps, improve gender balance at senior management, and apply gender budgeting in traditionally single-gender sectors.¶¶
Who is affected
- The European Commission, which must develop and implement the new methodology and impact assessments.¶¶
- EU institutions, bodies, offices and agencies, which must analyse pay gaps and improve gender balance.¶
- Women and marginalised groups, who are intended beneficiaries of gender budgeting and external actions.¶¶
- Small and medium-sized enterprises, whose administrative costs are considered in impact assessments.¶
Figures and deadlines
- 25 % of EU external financing instruments to be dedicated to gender equality as a principal objective in the upcoming MFF.¶
- 12 % of EU budget expenditure contributed to gender equality in 2021-2024, amounting to EUR 158.4 billion.¶
- Interventions worth EUR 37.99 billion promoted gender equality in 2024, compared to EUR 10.76 billion in 2021, EUR 37.83 billion in 2022, and EUR 47.99 billion in 2023.¶
Legal basis: Articles 2 and 3 of the Treaty on European Union; Articles 8, 10 and 19 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union¶¶