Sittings · Document
OPINION (2024/2124(INI)) 2025-12-01
On women’s entrepreneurship in rural and island areas and outermost regions
Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development · Rapporteur: Anna Strolenberg
AMENDMENTS
The Committee on Agriculture and Rural Development submits the following to the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, as the committee responsible:
Amendment 1
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, |
Amendment 2
Motion for a resolution
Citation -1 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to Articles 2 and 8 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU), |
Amendment 3
Motion for a resolution
Citation 1 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to Article 174 TFEU, |
Amendment 4
Motion for a resolution
Citation 2 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to its resolution of 7 June 2022 on EU islands and cohesion policy: current situation and future challenges1a, _______________ 1a OJ C 493, 27.12.2022, p. 48. |
Amendment 5
Motion for a resolution
Citation 3 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the Council Recommendation of 8 December 2022 on early childhood education and care: the Barcelona targets for 20301a, _______________ 1a OJ C 484, 20.12.2022, p. 1. |
Amendment 6
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to the UN Declaration on the Rights of Peasants and Other People Working in Rural Areas of 28 September 2018, |
Amendment 7
Motion for a resolution
Citation 9 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| – having regard to European Court of Auditors special report 10/2021 entitled ‘Gender mainstreaming in the EU budget: time to turn words into action’, |
Amendment 8
Motion for a resolution
Recital A
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| A. whereas women play a key role in rural economies, yet continue to face legal, financial, cultural and infrastructural barriers to entrepreneurship and economic independence; whereas rural areas are integral to the European way of life, as they embody the balance between tradition and progress; | A. whereas women play a key role in rural economies, especially in isolated and island communities, yet continue to face legal, financial, cultural and infrastructural barriers to entrepreneurship and economic independence; whereas rural areas are integral to the European way of life, as they embody the balance between tradition and progress and play a strategic role in the future of the EU and the preservation of its social and economic fabric, and the protection of its environment and landscapes; whereas the EU is committed to ensuring gender mainstreaming in all of its actions; |
Amendment 9
Motion for a resolution
Recital A a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Aa. whereas gender equality is a core value of the EU and its Member States, as enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union; whereas its promotion is one of the EU’s principal objectives; whereas gender equality is also recognised in the Treaties and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; whereas Article 8 TFEU lays down the principle of gender mainstreaming, which stipulates that a gender perspective must be integrated across all policies and programmes; |
Amendment 10
Motion for a resolution
Recital A b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ab. whereas women are essential to ensuring a prosperous future in rural and island areas and outermost regions, and to reversing demographic decline and the abandonment of rural areas; whereas curbing rural depopulation depends to a large extent on the opportunities available to women and young people; |
Amendment 11
Motion for a resolution
Recital A c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ac. whereas the employment gap between men and women in rural areas stands at 13 percentage points (compared to 10 percentage points in cities), exceeding 20 in some Member States; whereas women’s participation in the workforce stood at only 31.6 % in 2022, according to Eurostat data; |
Amendment 12
Motion for a resolution
Recital B
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| B. whereas targeted practical support, e.g. micro-loans, mentoring and simplified procedures, can empower first-time entrepreneurs; | B. whereas women engaging in farm and rural innovation are faced with numerous difficulties, from gender bias to limited access or awareness of innovative grants or start-up funds, under-representation in agricultural extension advisory services and in decision-making bodies and rural cooperatives, and weak connections with research institutions and knowledge; whereas targeted practical support, e.g. micro-loans, mentoring, farm advisory services and simplified procedures, can empower first-time entrepreneurs; whereas such support is still insufficient to meet the needs of people in the EU; |
Amendment 13
Motion for a resolution
Recital B a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ba. whereas statistics show that female entrepreneurs face more difficulties than men in securing finance and capital; whereas 30 % of entrepreneurs in the EU are women, yet they only receive 2 % of the non-bank financing available1a; whereas data shows that women entrepreneurs generate more revenue than men despite receiving lower financial backing1b; | |
| __________________ | |
| 1a European Commission and European Investment Bank, ‘Funding women entrepreneurs – How to empower growth’, 2020. | |
| 1b European Women in VC, Experior Venture Fund and Unconventional Ventures, ‘Funding in the CEE Region –Through the lens of gender diversity and positive impact’, 2021. |
Amendment 14
Motion for a resolution
Recital C
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| C. whereas women in outermost and remote regions face intensified challenges and barriers on account of isolation, ageing populations and limited services; | C. whereas women in outermost, border, remote and hard-to-reach regions face intensified challenges and barriers on account of isolation, ageing populations and limited services, which hamper their civic, economic and social participation; whereas the employment rate of women in the outermost regions is nearly always below the EU average, with the greatest difference being 38.5 percentage points in 2020; whereas youth unemployment is also extremely high in some outermost regions; |
Amendment 15
Motion for a resolution
Recital C a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ca. whereas women in the rural areas of eastern border regions are particularly exposed due to the proximity of the war in Ukraine, facing security threats, supply chain disruptions and hybrid risks, which hinder entrepreneurship and access to services and finance; whereas the specific circumstances of these border regions should be fully reflected in EU measures for rural women; |
Amendment 16
Motion for a resolution
Recital C b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Cb. whereas women continue to be significantly under-represented in decision-making processes that affect them, and in farm management and leadership positions in agribusiness, agricultural cooperatives, trade unions and municipal governments1a; | |
| __________________ | |
| 1a Bas-Defossez F. and Pagnon J., ‘What is the link between gender equality and agriculture sustainability?’, Institute for European Environmental Policy, September 2021. |
Amendment 17
Motion for a resolution
Recital D
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| D. whereas reconciling entrepreneurship with family life remains difficult, particularly in rural areas where public services are limited; | D. whereas traditional gender roles and stereotypes still influence the division of labour at home and in society; whereas care work, such as raising children or caring for elderly people, and running a business, particularly in rural areas with limited public services, remains difficult; whereas unpaid care and domestic work, such as childcare and elderly care, falls mainly on women, constituting an obstacle to the creation and development of women’s enterprises, with consequences for both the status of women and the development of society; |
Amendment 18
Motion for a resolution
Recital E
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| E. whereas gender-based violence, stigma and lack of support undermine women’s participation in social and economic life in rural areas owing to a lack of support networks and more pronounced traditional gender roles; | E. whereas in more isolated areas, such as rural areas, islands and outermost regions, gender-based violence, stigma and lack of support hinder women’s participation in social and economic life owing to, among other things, a lack of support networks, limited mobility, distance from public services, a lack of opportunities, more pronounced traditional gender roles and limited gender diversity in employment; |
Amendment 19
Motion for a resolution
Recital E a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ea. whereas women in rural and disadvantaged regions are more likely to pursue entrepreneurship and self-employment than those in urban and economically prosperous regions1a; whereas self-employment can help to create jobs and reduce unemployment rates for women, but requires the development of adequate social protection rights; whereas in rural areas, the share of women in self-employment is 38 %; whereas women are over-represented in precarious types of self-employment1b; | |
| __________________ | |
| 1a European Parliament Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs, ‘The professional status of rural women in the EU’, Brussels, May 2019. | |
| 1b Ibid. |
Amendment 20
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| F. whereas digital inclusion is essential for women to access training, markets, and remote work and innovation opportunities; whereas science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for girls can help close gender gaps; | F. whereas digital inclusion is essential for women to access training, markets, for example through the diversification of agricultural activities, and remote work and innovation opportunities; |
Amendment 21
Motion for a resolution
Recital F
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| F. whereas digital inclusion is essential for women to access training, markets, and remote work and innovation opportunities; whereas science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for girls can help close gender gaps | F. whereas in 2019, the proportion of rural inhabitants within the EU with at least basic digital skills was 14 % lower than that of urban residents (48 % compared with 62 %); whereas access to knowledge transfer, agricultural training, vocational training and apprenticeships, and science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) education for girls, can help close gender gaps; |
Amendment 22
Motion for a resolution
Recital F a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Fa. whereas women in rural areas face more obstacles in accessing education than men1a; whereas engaging in lifelong education, upskilling and reskilling, especially to keep up with rapid technological and digital innovations, increases their professional opportunities; | |
| __________________ | |
| 1a UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Policy Brief No 106 of 19 May 2021 entitled ‘Reducing poverty and inequality in rural areas: key to inclusive development’. |
Amendment 23
Motion for a resolution
Recital F b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Fb. whereas it is crucial to promote and advocate rural women’s full access to all levels of education, including, but not limited to, STEM subjects; |
Amendment 24
Motion for a resolution
Recital F c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Fc. whereas such targeted support needs to be reinforced through resources and instruments tailored to the specific conditions and needs of rural and island areas and outermost regions, and through access to professional training and collaborative networks, which can reduce the financial and geographical isolation experienced by women entrepreneurs; |
Amendment 25
Motion for a resolution
Recital F d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Fd. whereas agriculture plays a crucial role in rural areas in terms of conserving natural resources, ensuring food security, promoting economic and employment development, and supporting communities; whereas the active involvement of women throughout the food value chain – from production to processing, distribution and innovation – is a key factor in the competitiveness, quality and sustainability of the sector; |
Amendment 26
Motion for a resolution
Recital F e (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Fe. whereas the number of women in farm ownership roles is increasing across the EU, but they still remain a minority; whereas in 2020, only 31.6 % of farm owners in the EU were women1a, managing on average only 12 % of utilised agricultural area; whereas farms managed by women tend to be smaller than those managed by men, with lower incomes and less access to financial support; whereas these statistics hide significant differences in the representation of women in farming across Member States; | |
| __________________ | |
| 1a Eurostat, ‘Farmers and the agricultural labour force – statistics’. |
Amendment 27
Motion for a resolution
Recital F f (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ff. whereas most women working in the agriculture or agri-food sectors are employed through non-standard or part-time contracts; whereas farmers under the age of 40 manage only 12 % of all farms in the EU, and of these only 3 % are young women farmers; |
Amendment 28
Motion for a resolution
Recital F g (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Fg. whereas the smaller average size of women-run farms on average, and their generally more environmentally focused and diversified models of production, also hinder their access to bank loans1a; whereas, nevertheless, these characteristics make their farms more resilient to climatic and market variations and make it easier to hand over farm ownership; | |
| __________________ | |
| 1a Tourtelier, C. et al., ‘Influence of gender on the development of sustainable agriculture in France’, Journal of Rural Studies, Vol. 101, July 2023. |
Amendment 29
Motion for a resolution
Recital F h (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Fh. whereas women with disabilities can encounter more difficulties in starting their own businesses; whereas entrepreneurship among older women should be promoted as they should be seen as holding valuable and untapped potential for economic growth, especially in rural areas where the population is ageing quicker than in urban areas; whereas the promotion of entrepreneurship among migrant women can greatly help their integration into the labour market and foster their economic independence and empowerment; |
Amendment 30
Motion for a resolution
Recital G
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| G. whereas support for women in farming, traditional crafts and creative sectors contributes to local economic resilience, cultural preservation and generational renewal; | G. whereas women are often key players in agritourism, craft industries, artisan food production, direct marketing and regional value chains; whereas support for women in farming, traditional crafts and creative sectors contributes to local economic resilience, the preservation of a vibrant rural culture and generational renewal, with women playing a central role in fostering local communities and ensuring the survival and vitality of rural, remote and hard-to-reach regions; whereas innovative and diversified projects give rural areas a multifunctional dimension, supporting the preservation and promotion of cultural heritage and the sustainable development of communities; |
Amendment 31
Motion for a resolution
Recital G a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ga. whereas empowering women in European agriculture and the rural economy is not only essential for achieving gender equality, but also for fostering sustainable rural development, in line with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal 5; |
Amendment 32
Motion for a resolution
Recital G b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Gb. whereas the LEADER programme, by engaging local stakeholders in the design and delivery of strategies, decision-making and resource allocation for the development of their rural areas, has been a particularly effective tool for supporting rural women leaders and entrepreneurs; |
Amendment 33
Motion for a resolution
Recital G c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Gc. whereas women and girls living in rural and remote areas face additional barriers in accessing justice, protection, support services and sexual and reproductive healthcare when experiencing gender-based violence, owing to factors such as geographical isolation, lack of infrastructure, limited access to specialised services, the digital divide and social stigma; whereas these barriers often lead to under-reporting, increased vulnerability, lack of access to support services and impunity for perpetrators; |
Amendment 34
Motion for a resolution
Recital H
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| H. whereas gender-disaggregated data is essential for developing rural entrepreneurship policies that effectively address the specific needs of women; | H. whereas gender-disaggregated data is essential for developing rural entrepreneurship policies that effectively address the specific needs of women; whereas to address the specific challenges faced by women in agriculture, the Commission and the Member States must take better account of the impact of agricultural policies on women; |
Amendment 35
Motion for a resolution
Recital H a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Ha. whereas access to agricultural land remains difficult for many women, whether because of traditional inheritance practices, discrimination or a lack of legal advice, and constitutes a major obstacle to women’s entrepreneurship in agriculture; |
Amendment 36
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 1
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 1. Stresses that women entrepreneurs are a key driver of innovation, cohesion and competitiveness in rural areas; calls for improved access to innovation funding, tailored support programmes for small and medium-sized enterprises, and opportunities within the green and digital economies, ensuring that women entrepreneurs can participate fully in emerging markets; | 1. Stresses that women entrepreneurs are a key driver of innovation, cohesion and competitiveness in rural areas; calls for equal access for women to innovation funding and tailored support programmes for start-ups and small and medium-sized enterprises; calls, furthermore, for better access to public and private financing, and opportunities within the green and digital economies, ensuring that women entrepreneurs can participate fully in emerging markets; |
Amendment 37
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 2. Calls for the development of structured mentorship networks and peer learning platforms, particularly in areas such as digitalisation, finance and administration; | 2. Calls for the development of structured mentorship networks and peer learning platforms to harness and make full use of local knowledge and traditional practices, while also providing training and support in sectors such as digitalisation, finance and administration; |
Amendment 38
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 2a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to establish sector-specific mentoring programmes for young women farmers, focusing on practical exchange, business planning and farm succession; calls on the Commission to look into establishing a permanent, EU-wide coordinated mentoring and exchange programme for women in agriculture and rural entrepreneurship; suggests that this network should involve existing rural women’s associations, promote interregional exchange and be supported by EU funds such as the European Social Fund or LEADER; emphasises, furthermore, the importance of awareness-raising initiatives to promote the availability and benefits of these networks and platforms among women farmers, thereby fostering greater participation and empowerment; |
Amendment 39
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 2b. Encourages the creation of networks of women’s cooperatives and associations in the agri-food sector, promoting sustainable, circular and locally value-added business models, with a particular focus on organic farming, artisanal processing and direct sales; |
Amendment 40
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 2c. Welcomes the Commission’s commitment to establishing a ‘women in farming’ platform, as a forum for discussion and the exchange of good practice, to strengthen participation and promote equal opportunities in the agri-food sector; calls on the Commission to submit an annual report to Parliament on the activities and outcomes of the platform; calls, furthermore, on the Commission to ensure that the work of this platform is duly taken into account in the preparation and development of future policy initiatives in the fields of agriculture and rural development; |
Amendment 41
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 2 d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 2d. Reiterates the need for investment in education and training tools tailored to women in rural areas, both for the agricultural profession and for the development of digital and financial skills; encourages the Commission and the Member States to develop programmes for women-led enterprises in rural areas, including training on EU single market rules, legal and technical advice, the exchange of best practice, e-commerce platforms and participation in international trade fairs; stresses that facilitating women entrepreneurs’ access to export markets will increase the competitiveness, resilience and added value of rural economies; |
Amendment 42
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 3
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 3. Urges the Member States to promote success stories of rural female entrepreneurs through awareness campaigns to boost visibility, confidence and community engagement; | 3. Urges the Member States to promote success stories of rural female entrepreneurs from both farming and non-farming backgrounds, including those involved in family-run businesses, through awareness campaigns that boost visibility, confidence and community engagement, and inspire younger generations, while strengthening economic and social cohesion at the regional level; emphasises the need to promote the visibility of women in agriculture; calls for targeted campaigns that portray modern images of women in agriculture in order to attract young women to entrepreneurial activities in the agricultural sector; recommends the inclusion of women as role models in agricultural practice in communication materials, school initiatives and public events; |
Amendment 43
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 4
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 4. Calls on the Commission and the European Institute for Gender Equality, in cooperation with social partners, to analyse key barriers to women’s employment and entrepreneurship, including in outermost and remote regions; | 4. Calls on the Commission and the European Institute for Gender Equality, in cooperation with social partners, to analyse key barriers to women’s employment and entrepreneurship, including in island, outermost and remote regions; |
Amendment 44
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 5
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 5. Supports the Commission’s strategy for the savings and investments union and the creation and expansion of inclusive financial instruments, including a labelled EU investment savings account to increase and facilitate access to finance for EU companies; | 5. Supports the Commission’s strategy for the savings and investments union and the creation and expansion of inclusive financial instruments, including a labelled EU investment savings account to increase and facilitate access to finance for women-led EU companies; calls on the Commission to mainstream a strong gender dimension in the strategy; |
Amendment 45
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 6 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 6a. Calls for programmes to promote innovation in rural areas to explicitly include measures aimed at reaching women as a target group, e.g. through low-threshold information services, women-specific innovation workshops and active outreach to female farm managers; |
Amendment 46
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 7. Calls for targeted measures to improve women’s access to land, finance, education and training, especially for aspiring female farmers and business owners; | 7. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to adopt targeted measures to improve women’s access to land, finance, education and training, especially for aspiring female farmers and business owners; underlines the need to tackle structural and institutional barriers, including difficulties in obtaining legal status within farm businesses, tax and social welfare rules that disadvantage women in farming couples, and administrative obstacles in farm ownership that disadvantage women; calls on the Commission and the Member States to improve market access for the various products produced by women-led enterprises; emphasises that special attention must be given to women farmers involved in developing local, organic crafts and short supply chains, creating niche products, to add value within the farm gate; |
Amendment 47
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 7a. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to boost awareness and facilitate access to finance for female entrepreneurs and self-employed women in rural areas, including through tailored credit schemes and financial products; |
Amendment 48
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 7b. Encourages the Member States and regional and local authorities to make use of EU structural and investment funds to target and promote women entrepreneurs and self-employed women; stresses the need for awareness-raising and information campaigns on current and future EU funding opportunities for women entrepreneurs in rural areas; |
Amendment 49
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 7c. Calls for the establishment of a ‘fast track’ to facilitate access to finance and public procurement for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises led by women in rural areas; stresses that this mechanism should ensure that the administrative burden is kept proportionate to the size of the enterprise; |
Amendment 50
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 7d. Highlights the important role of microcredits in improving the financial inclusion of women by overcoming market and social barriers in financial markets; |
Amendment 51
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 e (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 7e. Calls for support programmes at EU and national level to take greater account of the realities of women’s lives; stresses that age limits or cut-off date rules for the allocation of start-up or innovation funding should be made more flexible in order to avoid gender-specific disadvantages and to enable women entrepreneurship at all stages of life; |
Amendment 52
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 7 f (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 7f. Calls on the Member States to specifically promote entrepreneurial thinking, independence and basic economic skills in school education, particularly with regard to rural realities and girls’ education; |
Amendment 53
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 8. Calls on the Commission to earmark adequate funding within relevant programmes to support women-led enterprises in rural and remote areas, particularly in innovative sectors and the tourism sector; | 8. Calls on the Commission to earmark adequate funding within relevant programmes to support women-led enterprises in rural and remote areas, particularly in agriculture, innovative sectors and the tourism sector; highlights the role of the LEADER programme in empowering rural communities and addressing multiple rural needs in areas such as employment, social inclusion and services, including women’s empowerment and entrepreneurship; calls on the Commission to ensure a dedicated, ring-fenced and increased budget for the LEADER programme to ensure its continuity; calls on the Commission and the Member States to simplify access to community-led development projects and to encourage women’s participation in local action groups; |
Amendment 54
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 8a. Stresses that women in island areas and outermost regions, particularly in Ireland, face higher costs, transport challenges and limited market access; calls for specific measures such as freight cost compensation and targeted investment in connectivity to level the playing field; |
Amendment 55
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 8 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 8b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to share best practice in order to strengthen and increase the share of women entrepreneurs and self-employed women in rural areas within the EU; |
Amendment 56
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 2
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Preparedness mainstreaming | Gender mainstreaming |
Amendment 57
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 9
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 9. Calls on the Member States to ensure that education includes digital skills and STEM subjects in a way that challenges harmful gender stereotypes and supports comprehensive teaching about consent and rights; | 9. Calls on the Member States to ensure that education includes digital skills, financial literacy and STEM subjects in a way that challenges harmful gender stereotypes and supports comprehensive teaching about consent and rights; |
Amendment 58
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 10. Urges the Member States to provide gender-sensitive training, emergency services and infrastructure to mitigate the impact of crises on rural communities; | 10. Urges the Member States to provide gender-sensitive training, emergency services and infrastructure, especially in remote areas, to increase communities’ resilience to economic and climate crises; |
Amendment 59
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 10 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 10a. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to establish strategic food security reserves in rural regions to strengthen local resilience, ensure the continuity of food supply during crises and empower women as key actors in the EU’s food security chain; |
Amendment 60
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11. Applauds communities that embrace their women-led local farming, and traditional craftworks such as those fostered by local housewives associations, monuments and museums, all of which serve to foster tourism and social pride within the local community; | 11. Applauds communities that embrace their women-led local farming, and traditional craftworks such as those fostered by local housewives associations, monuments and museums, all of which serve to foster and preserve local heritage and traditions, strengthen tourism and foster social pride within the local community, an often unseen and undervalued dimension of rural economies; |
Amendment 61
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 11 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 11a. Underlines the role of organised women farmers’ and rural women’s associations as the backbone of entrepreneurial, social and cultural development in rural areas; calls for these organisations to be structurally strengthened and involved in the implementation of gender equality measures, in particular in the delivery of training, mentoring programmes, healthcare and start-up advice; |
Amendment 62
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12
| Motion for a resolution | Unchanged text included in the compromise |
| 12. Highlights the socio-economic potential of traditional crafts and circular local economies, especially for elderly women; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support intergenerational entrepreneurship and craft-based value chains through training, funding and visibility actions; | 12. Highlights the socio-economic potential of traditional crafts and circular local economies, especially for elderly women; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support intergenerational entrepreneurship and craft-based value chains through training, funding and visibility actions; |
Amendment 63
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12a. Emphasises that many women-led businesses in rural areas are small-scale and often based on multiple activities and on the multifunctionality of agriculture e.g. combining agriculture with tourism, crafts or social services; calls for support programmes that explicitly take these combinations into account; |
Amendment 64
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12b. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to support the development of local value chains and intergenerational entrepreneurship through funding, training and visibility, so that traditional crafts become sustainable sources of income; calls, in particular, for concrete support for women engaged in traditional crafts and small businesses in rural and island areas and outermost regions, including through simplified access to EU-funded schemes and greater assistance in obtaining EU marks of protected origin for food and non-food products of local and European excellence; |
Amendment 65
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 12 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 12c. Emphasises that women contribute to regional value creation through direct marketing, on-farm processing and agrotourism; calls for targeted support for such integrated business models; emphasises that such initiatives often arise outside traditional male-dominated cooperatives and contribute to women’s economic independence; |
Amendment 66
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 14a. Recognises the preservation of rural customs – such as traditional costume tailoring, traditional songs and festival culture – by women as a contribution to cultural diversity, regional identity and social cohesion in rural areas; |
Amendment 67
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 14b. Encourages the promotion of voluntary labelling for small-scale producers in peripheral island regions to highlight products that have been significantly produced, processed or marketed by women; proposes developing these labels, particularly in the context of community processing initiatives, to strengthen women’s businesses in local value creation and marketing; recommends linking them to existing regional brands and initiatives to facilitate implementation and acceptance. |
Amendment 68
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 4
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Farming | Agriculture, fishing and the agri-food supply chain |
Amendment 69
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 14 c (new) (after subheading ‘Farming’)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 14c. Celebrates the resilience of women in farming and fisheries and the associated contribution they make to feeding our society, growing local economies and building strong communities throughout the EU and in particular in rural and island areas and outermost regions; |
Amendment 70
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 15. Stresses the need to promote the visibility, recognition and appreciation of women’s contribution in agriculture, including on family-run farms; calls for gender-equal access to land, common agricultural policy (CAP) funds, advisory services, innovation support and succession rights; | 15. Stresses the need to promote the visibility, recognition and appreciation of women’s contribution to sustainability, food security and territorial cohesion at all stages of the agri-food chain, from working in the fields or in fisheries to processing and marketing products, including on family-run farms; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support women’s access to common agricultural policy (CAP) funds, including funds from POSEI (programme of options specifically related to remoteness and insularity), and access to land, credit, education, advisory services, innovation programmes, including those related to short supply chains and local markets, succession rights and social security; regrets, in particular, the unequal access of women to farmland ownership and calls on the Member States to improve women’s ownership rights; |
Amendment 71
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 15a. Calls for better coordination of national and EU policies, to avoid creating unintended barriers for women in farming, particularly in the areas of taxation, social welfare, rural development and agricultural policy, while upholding the principle of gender mainstreaming; |
Amendment 72
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 15b. Calls for equal access for women to farmland ownership and agricultural education and training; |
Amendment 73
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 15c. Calls for the farm work done by women, especially the work done to assist their spouses and partners, to be taken into account to ensure greater legal recognition of their work and rights; stresses that many women work for years but do not receive official status and therefore have no access to funding, social rights or decision-making roles; |
Amendment 74
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 15d. Notes, in that respect, that the ‘single owner / farm manager’ rule that applies in many Member States contributes heavily to making farmers’ spouses or partners invisible and economically vulnerable; calls for the informal and often invisible contributions of women in agricultural businesses and rural households to be included in policy, data and funding, alongside formal leadership roles; calls on the Member States to systematically inform women on family farms about the possibilities of formal co-entrepreneurship through targeted information services, legal advice and accompanying programmes in order to enable women to be economically independent; |
Amendment 75
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 e (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 15e. Stresses that women in rural and island areas and outermost regions suffer from a pension gap; calls on the Commission and the Member States to recognise and provide social protection for women engaged in family farming businesses, including adequate pension rights and paid maternity leave, in order to encourage greater participation of women in agriculture and rural entrepreneurship; |
Amendment 76
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 f (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 15f. Calls on the Member States to implement the 2019 Council recommendation1a on ensuring effective access to social protection systems and entitlements, including pensions and leave for all self-employed workers, and to implement all the principles set out in the European Pillar of Social Rights; notes, in particular, the importance of ensuring appropriate maternity leave for women in charge of farms; | |
| __________________ | |
| 1a Council Recommendation of 8 November 2019 on access to social protection for workers and the self-employed (OJ C 387, 15.11.2019, p. 1). |
Amendment 77
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 g (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 15g. Calls for targeted information campaigns, advice from agricultural social security institutions, and relevant courses in agricultural training and adult education to raise awareness of pension provision and financial independence; calls for those courses to be provided locally in a targeted manner; |
Amendment 78
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 15 h (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 15h. Points out that many spouses working on farms are not adequately protected in the event of divorce, separation or the death of their spouse; calls on the Commission and the Member States to work with agricultural interest groups to develop models that take greater account of social security, co-entrepreneurship and inheritance rights; |
Amendment 79
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 16. Encourages the Member States to collect gender-disaggregated data on land ownership, agricultural leadership and the informal contributions of women; | 16. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to better collect gender-disaggregated data in order to ensure a comprehensive overview of the socio-economic position of rural women and take the gender dimension into account when designing, implementing and evaluating policies and programmes in the field of rural development; calls, in particular, on the Commission and the Member States to collect gender-disaggregated data on employment, pay and contract types in the agricultural and agri-food sector, in order to improve equal access and working conditions, as well as data on land ownership, agricultural leadership and the informal contributions of women in agriculture; underlines the importance of monitoring women’s access to funding and finance, advisory services and innovation support in order to address structural inequalities; |
Amendment 80
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 16 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 16a. Welcomes the proposal by Commissioner Hansen in his vision for agriculture and food to create an EU land observatory; highlights the need for this observatory to collect gender-disaggregated data; calls on the Commission to assess the policy gaps that act as barriers for women when it comes to acquiring or inheriting land and to issue policy recommendations to counteract this; |
Amendment 81
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 17. Calls for measures that support young female farmers, as generational renewal is key to maintaining agricultural activity, which ensures both food security and vibrant rural communities; | 17. Calls on the Commission to propose specific measures to support young female farmers and agri-food entrepreneurs, including financial incentives, and initiatives to address structural and cultural barriers to land access and farm succession; emphasises that generational renewal is key to maintaining and developing agricultural activity, which ensures both food security and vibrant rural communities; calls on the Commission to propose, in particular, specific measures aimed at young female farmers under the CAP, as it is currently impossible to prioritise women within the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund’s young farmers’ scheme1a; |
| __________________ | |
| 1a European Court of Auditors special report 10/2021 entitled ‘Gender mainstreaming in the EU budget – time to turn words into action’, 2021. |
Amendment 82
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 17a. Calls on the Commission to better design all its programmes so as to ensure that women and men benefit equally from public spending, including under the CAP, and to increase the share of the CAP budget allocated to measures specifically aimed at supporting female farmers; underlines the importance of ensuring that the CAP support measures offer targeted and ringfenced support for women farmers, including farm advisory services, guidance on occupational health and safety, maternity and carers’ leave, and mental health, and access to healthcare services; |
Amendment 83
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 17b. Advocates, in particular, that the future CAP budget should include positive discrimination measures for young women farmers, notably in the outermost regions, facilitating access to credit, land and innovation, in order to ensure generational renewal in areas particularly vulnerable to agricultural abandonment; |
Amendment 84
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 17c. Calls on the Member States to include specific measures to support women farmers in their CAP strategic plans under specific objective 8; calls, in particular, for the introduction, within CAP programmes and structural funds, of gender-based incentives for agricultural and agri-food businesses led by women or with a significant female presence in decision-making roles, in line with the objectives of the EU Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025; |
Amendment 85
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 17d. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to establish an integrated ‘one-stop-shop’, accessible online, within the CAP, with a dedicated section for women in rural areas; stresses that this facility should include an interactive map of available financial instruments, standardised application templates, and advisory services for the preparation of business plans and projects; |
Amendment 86
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 17 e (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 17e. Recognises the important contribution made by women’s voluntary work in rural areas, which complements entrepreneurial activities, strengthens social networks and contributes significantly to the functioning of democratic structures in rural areas; calls for the Member States and regional and local governments to provide information, training and support for specific measures that enable women in rural areas to participate in decision-making and deliberation processes in their areas, including on the boards of municipal and school authorities, cooperatives, agricultural policy decision-making bodies and trade unions, as well as in entities representing women’s interests in discussions and decision-making processes; calls on the Member States to introduce gender balance targets in their governing bodies and in publicly owned enterprises operating in rural areas; calls on agricultural cooperatives and producer organisations funded under the CAP to introduce minimum gender representation quotas in their governing bodies; |
Amendment 87
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 18. Calls for greater inclusivity within rural areas, and for resilient and well-connected areas that provide secure, high-quality products and services for the wider society; | 18. Calls for local and regional authorities to ensure greater inclusivity within rural areas, and for Member States to ensure that EU funds are used to develop resilient and well-connected areas that provide secure, high-quality products and services, supporting local economic development and regional cohesion; |
Amendment 88
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 18a. Underlines the specific challenges faced by women farmers and entrepreneurs in Irish rural and island communities, including compliance costs, high insurance premiums and the constraints of environmental regulations, as many of these regions are classified as special areas of conservation; |
Amendment 89
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 18b. Stresses that the design of most equipment, tools and materials used in agriculture is based on average male characteristics, which limits the possibility of women using them safely and efficiently; expresses regret that this lack of gender-sensitive design contributes to the excessive physical demands made on women and discourages them from farming; calls on the Commission and the Member States to support the development and distribution of ergonomic equipment and materials tailored to women’s needs; |
Amendment 90
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 18 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 18c. Stresses the need to make the farming profession more attractive, especially for younger generations and for women; considers it essential to remove the stigma from farming as a profession by recognising that modern agriculture also means entrepreneurship, innovation and providing added value; calls on the Commission and the Member States to include in their strategies and initiatives measures that promote agriculture as a viable career with good prospects, and one which combines traditional and entrepreneurial dimensions; |
Amendment 91
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 19. Stresses that equitable access to infrastructure such as high-speed internet and reliable transport is essential to enable rural women to participate in economic, educational and civic life; | 19. Stresses that equitable access to infrastructure such as high-speed internet and reliable transport is essential to enable rural women to participate in economic, educational and civic life; notes, however, that the move to online communication and digitalisation can in itself be isolating, as many are not familiar or comfortable with this mode of communication; encourages the Member States in this regard to maintain the option for personal, verbal communication with farmers and rural dwellers; |
Amendment 92
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 19. Stresses that equitable access to infrastructure such as high-speed internet and reliable transport is essential to enable rural women to participate in economic, educational and civic life; | 19. Stresses that equitable access to infrastructure such as high-speed internet and reliable transport is essential to enable rural women to participate in economic, educational and civic life; stresses the need for local and regional prevention and support mechanisms, including counselling, protection and access to financial resources programmes, which strengthen the resilience of communities and the security of women entrepreneurs; |
Amendment 93
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 19. Stresses that equitable access to infrastructure such as high-speed internet and reliable transport is essential to enable rural women to participate in economic, educational and civic life; | 19. Stresses that equitable access to infrastructure such as high-speed internet, reliable transport and air and sea access is essential to enable women in rural, island and outermost areas to participate in economic, educational and civic life; |
Amendment 94
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 19. Stresses that equitable access to infrastructure such as high-speed internet and reliable transport is essential to enable rural women to participate in economic, educational and civic life; | 19. Stresses that equitable access to infrastructure, such as high-speed internet and reliable transport, and access to services are essential to enable rural women to participate in economic, educational and civic life; |
Amendment 95
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 19 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 19a. Stresses the need for rural areas, islands and the outermost regions to be able to provide essential, high-quality services of general interest to women in order to harness their strengths and integrate them into the labour market on a sustainable basis; underscores, to that end, the need to ensure equal and affordable access to all healthcare, transport and connectivity services, including education and training services and digital infrastructure; calls, therefore, on the Commission and the Member States to facilitate access to funding and provide tailored support measures for initiatives that address local needs and contribute to the development of rural areas, islands and the outermost regions; |
Amendment 96
Motion for a resolution
Subheading 5
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| Equal access to infrastructure and services | Equal access to infrastructure, services and social protection |
Amendment 97
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 20. Encourages investment in social enterprises, cooperatives and care-related business models that empower rural women while addressing local needs, such as childcare, eldercare and community well-being; | 20. Recognises the importance of domestic and care responsibilities being shared equally among men and women in order to achieve the work-life balance necessary for women to engage in entrepreneurship and self-employment; calls on the Member States and regional and local authorities to invest in social enterprises, cooperatives and care-related business models that empower rural women while addressing local needs, and to provide appropriate childcare and eldercare and to address community well-being; calls on the Member States to implement the Barcelona targets, ensuring these needs are covered through investment in accessible and affordable high-quality care services; welcomes the actions already taken by some Member States in this regard; urges them to fully transpose and implement the Work-Life Balance Directive, and calls on the Commission to monitor its implementation effectively; |
Amendment 98
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 20a. Notes the lack of accessible childcare and elderly care services in rural and island areas, which constitutes a barrier to women’s entrepreneurship; calls for programmes to promote household-related services, agricultural family time models and the creation and support of rural nurseries, all-day schools and mobile care services; |
Amendment 99
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 20b. Recognises the importance of ensuring that there are local schools in rural areas; calls on the Member States to consult local populations concerning the closure of public schools and to propose valid alternatives; |
Amendment 100
Paragraph 20 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 20c. Calls for a fund dedicated to ‘early childhood in rural areas’ to be added to the European Child Guarantee; |
Amendment 101
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 20d. Notes that the inadequacy of farm relief services in many Member States impacts women farmers in particular; calls on the Member States to reinforce these services; |
Amendment 102
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 20 e (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 20e. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to examine new intergenerational housing concepts for rural areas that combine housing, care and community life for young families and older people and provide new impulses for rural development; |
Amendment 103
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 21. Stresses that limited access to healthcare – including maternal care and mental health services – disproportionately affects women in rural, island and outermost regions; calls on the Member States to ensure the availability, affordability and continuity of essential health services, through mobile clinics and telemedicine; | 21. Stresses that limited access to healthcare – including maternal, sexual and reproductive healthcare and mental health services – disproportionately affects women in rural, island and outermost regions; calls on the Member States to ensure the availability, affordability and continuity of essential health services, through mobile clinics and telemedicine; |
Amendment 104
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 21. Stresses that limited access to healthcare – including maternal care and mental health services – disproportionately affects women in rural, island and outermost regions; calls on the Member States to ensure the availability, affordability and continuity of essential health services, through mobile clinics and telemedicine; | 21. Stresses that limited access to health and social care – including maternal, elderly healthcare and mental health services – disproportionately affects women in rural, island and outermost regions; calls on the Member States to ensure the availability, accessibility, affordability and continuity of essential health services in rural areas, notably through mobile clinics and telemedicine or other innovative services; stresses, furthermore, the importance of ensuring the availability of adequate mental health support and services tailored to the specific needs of women in these regions in order to address the heightened risk of isolation, stress and burnout. |
Amendment 105
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 21a. Highlights the dire economic situation in some outermost regions, notably the lack of employment opportunities, lower salaries and higher prices, in particular of food products, partially due to a structural dependence on imports of raw materials and agricultural products; notes, in particular, the high level of unemployment among women and young people in the outermost regions; stresses that the outermost regions face permanent disadvantages, such as isolation, the small size of the internal market, and dependence on maritime and air transport, which particularly affect female entrepreneurship; recommends that the Commission develop specific instruments to support projects by women entrepreneurs in the outermost regions, including increases in support schemes under the CAP, the European Social Fund Plus, and innovation programmes; calls on the Member States to design specific programmes in these regions in order to support female entrepreneurship and self-employment, facilitate young female farmers’ access to land, and make the best use of CAP and POSEI funds to that end; regrets that the outermost regions continue to be disadvantaged in the implementation of EU and national policies; points out, in this regard, that the application of the 2 % deflator under the current multiannual financial framework applies to the CAP but not to the POSEI programme, which creates a budgetary imbalance and directly affects the competitiveness and resilience of farmers in these regions; |
Amendment 106
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 21b. Emphasises that female entrepreneurship on small islands makes a decisive contribution to social cohesion, sustainability, the strengthening of local identity, and sustainable development; points out that the spatially limited market on islands and in remote areas limits the development of agriculture and, implicitly, of women’s entrepreneurial initiatives in this field and poses a challenge for entrepreneurship; calls, in this context, for EU policymakers and national authorities to direct their attention to this, to ensure a level playing field for women entrepreneurs on islands and in remote rural territories; |
Amendment 107
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 21c. Highlights the particular economic challenges of eastern rural border regions, which affect women in particular, and calls on the Commission and the Member States to develop targeted programmes supporting entrepreneurship, facilitating young female farmers’ access to land and finance, and ensuring the effective use of CAP and cohesion policy instruments to strengthen the resilience and development of these regions; |
Amendment 108
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 21 d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 21d. Calls on the Member States and the Commission to enhance mobility and territorial continuity arrangements in the outermost regions, including affordable sea and air travel, as a prerequisite for women entrepreneurs’ full participation in national and EU markets; |
Amendment 109
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 22. Acknowledges that gender-based violence, including domestic, economic, sexual and psychological abuse, is a serious barrier to women’s autonomy and participation in economic life in rural and island regions; | 22. Condemns all forms of violence against women; urges the Commission and the Member States to implement policies to prevent and combat gender-based violence, including in rural and island areas and outermost regions; Acknowledges that gender-based violence, including domestic, economic, sexual and psychological abuse, is a serious barrier to women’s autonomy and participation in economic life in rural and island regions; |
Amendment 110
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 22a. Highlights the fact that the nature and terms of women’s work in rural and island regions, along with women’s geographical isolation, and the imbalanced power dynamics, increase their vulnerability to gender-based violence; |
Amendment 111
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 22b. Calls on the Member States to ensure that victims of violence against women living in rural, insular and remote areas have access to assistance and, in particular, to shelters for women and children in situations of domestic violence; |
Amendment 112
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 c (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 22c. Calls on the remaining Member States to ratify the Istanbul Convention as soon as possible; |
Amendment 113
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 d (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 22d. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the implementation of Directive (EU) 2024/1385 on combating violence against women and domestic violence1a fully addresses the specific needs of victims in rural and island areas; stresses the importance of including rural considerations in national transposition measures; urges the Member States to use EU funding instruments, including cohesion policy and rural development funds, to support efforts to address gender-based violence; | |
| __________________ | |
| 1a Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on combating violence against women and domestic violence (OJ L, 2024/1385, 24.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1385/oj). |
Amendment 114
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 e (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 22e. Emphasises that the absence, or inferior status, of women working on the farm of their spouse/partner contributes to their economic dependency; notes that women’s lower employment rates, obstacles to inheriting land or taking over their parents’ farms, as well as limited access to credit and funding, have a similar effect, increasing the risk of domestic and economic abuse; |
Amendment 115
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 f (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 22f. Underlines the importance of access to women’s shelters for women and children in situations of domestic violence; recalls the Istanbul Convention’s minimum standard for women’s shelters of one family place per 10 000 head of population; regrets that access to such shelters in rural areas is limited; calls on the Member States and local and regional authorities to provide sufficient financial support and resources to specialist women’s organisations for the establishment and management of such shelters and the continuity of provision in affected areas; |
Amendment 116
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 22 g (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 22g. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that the implementation of Directive (EU) 2024/1385 on combating violence against women and domestic violence1a fully addresses the specific needs of victims in rural and island areas; stresses the importance of including rural considerations in national transposition measures; urges the Member States to use EU funding instruments, including cohesion policy and rural development funds, to support efforts to address gender-based violence, including the development of targeted strategies to ensure that victims in these areas have equal access to justice, protection and support, including through mobile victim support units, rural helplines, community-based services, and awareness-raising campaigns tailored to rural populations; highlights the need to bridge the digital divide and improve infrastructure to facilitate reporting and access to services; ______________ 1a Directive (EU) 2024/1385 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 14 May 2024 on combating violence against women and domestic violence (OJ L, 2024/1385, 24.5.2024, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/dir/2024/1385/oj). |
Amendment 117
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 23. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that women’s entrepreneurship in rural, island and outermost regions is adequately supported under the post-2027 multiannual financial framework, including funding through relevant programmes such as the CAP, Horizon Europe, and Digital Europe; underlines the importance of facilitating access to EU funding for women-led rural enterprises, cooperatives and community-based projects; | 23. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that women’s entrepreneurship in rural, island and outermost regions is adequately supported under the post-2027 multiannual financial framework, including funding through relevant programmes such as the CAP, as well as POSEI, Horizon Europe and Digital Europe; underlines the importance of facilitating access to EU funding for women-led rural enterprises, cooperatives and community-based projects; |
Amendment 118
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 23
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 23. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that women’s entrepreneurship in rural, island and outermost regions is adequately supported under the post-2027 multiannual financial framework, including funding through relevant programmes such as the CAP, Horizon Europe, and Digital Europe; underlines the importance of facilitating access to EU funding for women-led rural enterprises, cooperatives and community-based projects; | 23. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to ensure that women’s entrepreneurship in rural, border, island and outermost regions is adequately supported under the post-2027 multiannual financial framework, including funding through relevant programmes such as the CAP, as well as POSEI, Cohesion Policy, Horizon Europe and Digital Europe; underlines the importance of facilitating access to EU funding for women-led rural enterprises, cooperatives and community-based projects; stresses the importance of ensuring an adequate level of financial and policy support for rural development; calls on the Commission and the Member States to enhance the visibility and accessibility of funding opportunities specifically dedicated to women in rural areas, including through targeted information and promotional campaigns aimed at increasing awareness and uptake; |
Amendment 119
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 a (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 24a. Calls for domestic violence to be actively removed from the realm of taboo through targeted awareness-raising campaigns, low-threshold contact points and cooperation with local multipliers; |
Amendment 120
Motion for a resolution
Paragraph 24 b (new)
| Motion for a resolution | Amendment |
| 24b. Calls for the EU and the Member States to combat trafficking in women and forced prostitution with a comprehensive strategy that includes prevention, effective prosecution, cross-border cooperation and assistance and protection for victims; emphasises that women must be able to decide for themselves what kind of work they do; |
ANNEX: DECLARATION OF INPUT
DECLARATION OF INPUT FROM ANNA STROLENBERG
Pursuant to Article 8 of Annex I to the Rules of Procedure, the rapporteur declares that she included in her report input on matters pertaining to the subject of the file that she received, in the preparation of the draft report from the following interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register, or from the following representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies:
| 1. Interest representatives falling within the scope of the Interinstitutional Agreement on a mandatory transparency register |
| Via campesina |
| Land and Tuinbouw Organisatie Nederland |
| Rural youth Europe |
| 2. Representatives of public authorities of third countries, including their diplomatic missions and embassies |
The list above is drawn up under the exclusive responsibility of the rapporteur.
Where natural persons are identified in the list by their name, by their function or by both, the rapporteur declares that she has submitted to the natural persons concerned the European Parliament’s Data Protection Notice No 484 (https://www.europarl.europa.eu/data-protect/index.do), which sets out the conditions applicable to the processing of their personal data and the rights linked to that processing.
INFORMATION ON ADOPTION BY THE COMMITTEE ASKED FOR OPINION
| Date adopted | 5.11.2025 | |
| Result of final vote | +: –: 0: | 31 1 8 |
| Members present for the final vote | Arno Bausemer, Daniel Buda, Ivan David, Jérémy Decerle, Valérie Deloge, Salvatore De Meo, Csaba Dömötör, Herbert Dorfmann, Sebastian Everding, Carlo Fidanza, Luke Ming Flanagan, Cristina Guarda, Martin Häusling, Elsi Katainen, Stefan Köhler, Tomáš Kubín, Camilla Laureti, Norbert Lins, Cristina Maestre, Dario Nardella, Maria Noichl, Gilles Pennelle, André Rodrigues, Katarína Roth Neveďalová, Bert-Jan Ruissen, Arash Saeidi, Eric Sargiacomo, Christine Singer, Pekka Toveri, Jessika Van Leeuwen, Veronika Vrecionová, Thomas Waitz, Maria Walsh | |
| Substitutes present for the final vote | Peter Agius, Benoit Cassart, David Cormand, Annalisa Corrado, Esther Herranz García, Gabriel Mato, Michal Wiezik | |
| Members under Rule 216(7) present for the final vote | Jorge Buxadé Villalba, Raúl de la Hoz Quintano, Sérgio Humberto, Silvia Sardone |