Civil Society reacts to the portfolio of the Commissioner-designate for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality

Eurochild joins european and national equality civil society networks and organisations in reacting to the portfolio of the Commissioner-designate for Preparedness, Crisis Management and Equality.

In light of the recent unveiling of the new European Commission, European and national equality civil society networks and organisations wish to express their shock and dismay over the downgrading of the Equality portfolio compared to the previous mandate.

When the President of the European Commission delayed announcing the new College due to the lack of female Commissioners, we were hopeful that this signalled a commitment to strengthen the Equality portfolio and advancing the EU's vision for a “Union of Equality.” Instead, we are disappointed that this delay appears to have been more a performative gesture regarding an expected “gender quota” than a genuine commitment to substance.

The shift from Equality being a stand-alone portfolio to now being combined with Crisis Management and Preparedness under the same Commissioner poses a significant risk that the latter will be prioritised to the detriment of the former. Given crises' urgent and often overwhelming nature, we fear that equality issues will be sidelined in favour of crisis management. This new configuration risks undermining the consistent and diligent implementation of the Equality agenda, as crises like pandemics, wars, and economic or environmental disasters will likely dominate the Commissioner’s time and focus. Recent years have shown that crises can easily overwhelm even the most dedicated officials.

Despite the ambitious goal of building a Union of Equality, the mission letter fails to grant the Commissioner-designate a broad mandate to lead the fight against structural and intersectional discrimination or to advance anti-discrimination legislation. Worrisome is also the complete omission of age discrimination, a ground for action under EU treaties, marking a step backwards from the previous Commissioner’s mandate. The letter also fails to underpin these objectives with the necessary Commission services as it only refers to the Equality Taskforce. We are also concerned by the lack of long-term consideration of gender equality based on collective values, knowledge and behaviours acquired through education and life-long learning. We regret the absence of long-term investment in education and future generations, which is essential to allowing the EU to « shift from reaction to proactive readiness » in the field.

Sabine Saliba, Secretary General of Eurochild, stated, ‘’Considering global conflicts, the increasing effects of climate change, and the importance of non-discrimination policies, we believe these issues warrant more focused attention. The integration of the two portfolios may risk sidelining essential efforts to uphold the rights of all children, including those facing unique vulnerabilities due to their circumstances, such as children with disabilities, Roma children and children with a migrant background.’’

Read the full letter and full list of endorsing organisations