A3-0409/93

Resolution on the situation of women in agriculture in the Member States of the Community

The European Parliament,

-having regard to Council Directive 86/613/EEC of 11 December 1986 on the application of the principle of equal treatment between men and women engaged in an activity, including agriculture, in a self-employed capacity, and on the protection of self-employed women during pregnancy and motherhood and its opinion of 23 May 1984 on the same subject,

-having regard to its resolution of 16 March 1989 on spouses in agriculture and family businesses,

-having regard to the motion for a resolution by Mr Fernández-Albor on help for women in rural areas (B3-0610/92),

-having regard to Rule 148 of its Rules of Procedure,

-having regard to the report of the Committee on Women's Rights and the opinion of the Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Rural Development (A3-0409/93),

A.whereas many women still work in agriculture and the future of rural areas will to a significant extent depend upon the role reserved for women,

B.whereas women's work, especially as helpers on farms, is in many cases not covered by legislation; whereas such work should be recognized and assigned professional status,

1.Observes that despite the directive of 11 December 1986 which was intended to ensure that women working in agriculture were treated equally, few Member States have taken the necessary measures to ensure that work carried out by women on farms is recognized;

2.Recalls that pursuant to Article 11 of the directive, the Council should have reviewed the directive on the proposal of the Commission before 1 July 1993 and that, pursuant to Article 13, Member States should have forwarded to the Commission before 30 June 1991 all the information necessary to enable it to draw up a report on the application of the directive for submission to the Council;

3.Calls on the Commission, therefore, to submit to Parliament without delay the report on the application of this directive which was promised to the Council in the third action programme;

4.Calls on the Commission to organize a major conference with farming organizations representative of women and with women's associations to consider the problems facing women in agriculture, especially helpers on farms, and on the role of women in the reformed common agricultural policy, and to launch a large-scale public awareness campaign to enhance the image of the work carried out by women in farming;

5.Calls on the Commission to promote the establishment of a European group of women active in farming and rural life, in the context of the women's European lobby, to organize activities at European level (seminars, visits and exchanges), which could be funded under Community budget heading B2-514 'Training and information', of a European nature relating to farming and rural life;

6.Calls on the Commission, on the basis of this resolution and work carried out to date, to submit a proposal to supplement Directive 86/613/EEC, so as to give female helpers on farms professional status which will enable them to have their own rights and not merely indirect entitlements;

7.Calls for Articles 7 and 8 of the directive to provide for measures which are more binding on Member States;

8.Calls for Member States to undertake to introduce the necessary measures to recognize the work of female helpers on farms and their contribution to the development of farming and rural life and to recognize the right to a pension for work performed by women on farms;

9.Urges the Commission to draw up Community measures in connection with the reform of the CAP and the Structural Funds providing for:

(a)integrated measures to establish social infrastructure with particular reference to health, culture and education;

(b)vocational training measures including farm management courses, agri-tourism, organic farming, diversification of activities, new technologies and arrangements involving associations, which should also include distance learning;

(c)measures to provide such women with up-to-date information through centres such as MIRIAM, computer networks and the media;

10.Calls on the Member States and political and professional organizations to take the necessary measures to increase the level of participation of women in decision-making and representative bodies, particularly in rural areas, as called for in the third action programme;

11.Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Commission, the Council and the Governments of the Member States.