In its reply, Ceemet stated that it does not support a quota for women in boards and believes in a voluntary company code of conduct/ agreements concerning gender balance in corporate boards. Member States could do much more to enable the natural evolution of increase in women participation in the labour market, certain industry sectors such as Metal, Engineering and Technology-based (MET) industries and finally increased presence in corporate board.

• Self-regulation has all the prerequisites to succeed in improving the situation and give women a larger presence in corporate boards.
• When looking at the Commission Staff Working Document on Progress on equality between women and men in 2011, a clear link can be seen between the lack of care services for children or other dependent persons and female participation in the workforce and thus women’s representation in company boards. W
• hen societies as a whole properly support women’s activity in the labour market, a natural evolution seems to lead to a higher representation also in higher positions in organisations including the board memberships.
• The EU countries which have the highest rates of women represented in the corporate boards in fact do not have women quotas in place.