(1)

The principle of equality between men and women is a fundamental principle of Community law, laid down in Article 2 and Article 3(2) of the Treaty and clarified by the case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Communities. Under the Treaty, equality between men and women is one of the Community's specific tasks and objectives and the Community is actively to promote such equality in all fields of Community action.

(2)

Article 13(1) of the Treaty confers on the Council the power to take appropriate action to combat all discrimination based, inter alia, on sex. Pursuant to Article 13(2), when the Council adopts Community incentive measures, excluding any harmonisation of the laws and regulations of the Member States, to support action taken by the Member States in order to contribute to the achievement of that objective, it is to act in accordance with the procedure referred to in Article 251 of the Treaty.

(3)

Article 21 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union prohibits any discrimination on grounds of sex and Article 23 lays down the principle of equality between men and women in all areas.

(4)

Experience of action at Community level has shown that promoting gender equality calls in practice for a combination of measures and, in particular, of legislation and practical action designed to reinforce one another.

(5)

The Commission's White Paper on European Governance advocates the participation of citizens in shaping and implementing policy, the involvement of civil society and civil society organisations, and more effective and transparent consultation of interested parties.

(6)

The Fourth World Conference on Women held in Beijing adopted on 15 September 1995 a Declaration and a Platform for Action calling on governments, the international community and civil society to take strategic action to eliminate both discrimination against women and the barriers to gender equality.

(7)

By Decision 2001/51/EC (3), the Council established a Community action programme relating to the Community framework strategy on gender equality. These actions should be supplemented by support measures in the areas concerned.

(8)

Budget headings A-3 03 7 (No ABB 040501) and A-3 0 4 6 (No ABB 040503) of the general budget of the European Union for the year 2003 and preceding years were intended to support the European Women's Lobby and women's organisations working to promote equality between men and women.

(9)

Council Regulation (EC, Euratom) No 1605/2002 of 25 June 2002 on the Financial Regulation applicable to the general budget of the European Communities (4), hereinafter referred to as ‘the Financial Regulation’, requires the adoption of a basic act for existing support measures which is in line with its provisions.

(10)

The activities of certain organisations help to promote gender equality, particularly in the case of Community measures targeted specifically at women.

(11)

The European Women's Lobby, in particular, which comprises most of the women's organisations in the 15 Member States and has over 3 000 members, plays a major role in promoting, monitoring and disseminating Community measures aimed at women with a view to achieving equality between men and women. Its activity serves the general European interest.

(12)

Consequently, a structured programme should be adopted to provide financial assistance to such organisations in the form of an operating grant for activities with aims of general European interest in the area of gender equality or with an objective which forms part of the European Union's policy in this area and in the form of certain grants for action.

(13)

This programme covers a wide geographic area owing to the fact that the new Treaty of Accession was signed on 16 April 2003 and that the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA) provides for increased cooperation in the field of gender equality between the European Community and its Member States, on the one hand, and the countries of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA), on the other. The EEA Agreement lays down the procedures for the participation of the EFTA States party to the EEA Agreement in Community programmes in this field. Furthermore, this programme should be opened up for participation by Romania and Bulgaria, in accordance with the conditions set out in their Europe Agreements, in their Additional Protocols and in the decisions of the respective Association Councils, and to Turkey in accordance with the conditions laid down in the Framework Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Turkey on the general principles for the participation of the Republic of Turkey in Community programmes (5).

(14)

The specific nature of organisations active at European level in the field of the promotion of equality between men and women should be taken into account when laying down the procedures for granting such assistance.

(15)

This Decision lays down, for the entire duration of the programme, a financial framework constituting the prime reference, within the meaning of point 33 of the Interinstitutional Agreement of 6 May 1999 between the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on budgetary discipline and improvement of the budgetary procedure (6), for the budgetary authority during the annual budgetary procedure.

(16)

The Joint Declaration of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission of 24 November 2003 on the basic acts for grants provides, on an exceptional basis, for transitional clauses concerning the period of eligibility of expenditure to be introduced in this programme,

(a)

accession States which signed the Treaty of Accession on 16 April 2003;

(b)

the EFTA/EEA countries, in accordance with the conditions laid down in the EEA Agreement;

(c)

Romania and Bulgaria, on the basis that the conditions for their participation are to be laid down in accordance with the European Agreements, their additional Protocols and the decisions of the respective Association Councils;

(d)

Turkey, on the basis that the conditions for its participation are to be laid down in accordance with the Framework Agreement between the European Community and the Republic of Turkey on the general principles for the participation of the Republic of Turkey in Community programmes.