Dear Mr Vardakastanis,
I would like to thank for your message addressed to President von der Leyen, on whose behalf I am replying.
You followed up on a joint letter sent by 50 civil society organisations regarding the portfolio of the Commissioner-designate for Equality, restating what you consider to be a need for clarity, notably as regards the prioritisation of the Equality portfolio.
The Political Guidelines of President von der Leyen make clear that equality will continue to be a core priority for the Commission during the next five years.
As indicated in our previous letter, while Commissioner Lahbib is responsible for both Preparedness and Crisis Management and Equality, there is no hierarchy between the two portfolios, which offer important scope for positive synergies. For example, it is clear that there can be particular risks at times of crisis for those disadvantaged or discriminated against in our societies: the combination of the portfolios can only help to address this.
The Commissioner for Equality will continue to be supported by the Task Force on Equality, which can draw on all relevant expertise from across the Commission. It will continue to be the responsibility of individual services to prepare specific initiatives.
Furthermore, the revised Commission working methods foresee that each Member of the Commission designates in their Cabinet an equality contact point.
The Commission is committed to having a workforce in Cabinets and services that is representative of our society and a working environment that is discrimination-free, inclusive, and accessible for people with disabilities.
Civil society plays a key role in the Commission’s work on equality. With this in mind, the Commission will continue to consult with civil society organisations. The next equality strategies will benefit from a broad consultative process, involving the European Parliament, the Member States, civil society, and other stakeholders. The new Implementation Dialogues will also offer an opportunity to discuss how our rules are being applied in practice.
I hope my reply clearly conveys that equality remains a key priority for the Commission, and that we will continue to progress on the Union of Equality set out by President von der Leyen.
Yours sincerely,
Ilze Juhansone
Secretary-General, European Commission