A report approved by the European Parliament, the MEPs consider the possibility of introducing quotas in 2012 in order to increase the number of women in corporate boards. According to the report, women should make up 30% of top management in the largest listed EU companies by 2015 and 40% by 2020. MEPs also asked to the European Commission to study this possibility.

The MEP who drafted the report and EP Vice-President, Rodi Kratsa-Tsagaropoulou, underlined that empowering the role of women on management boards of companies is not only about ethics and equality, it is also essential for economic growth and a competitive internal market. She also believes that with the adoption of this report, the European Parliament has sent a strong message to governments, social partners and enterprises in Europe. With this vote, the whole Parliament followed the recommendations approved by the EP Women's Rights Committee at the European Parliament last May.

During the previous debate held before the vote, MEPs welcomes decisions by France, the Netherlands and Spain to set thresholds. Norway's quota legislation is seen as a good example. Parliament also insisted that other companies, not only the biggest ones, should also have a balanced gender representation and to this end the Commission should devise a roadmap.

In addition, according to the report Member States should introduce special arrangements, such as childcare, care for the elderly and fiscal incentives for companies or other ways to help women and men in business to balance family and work commitments. Besides this measures, MEPs remind that studies have shown that companies with a higher percentage of women tend to perform better commercially and financially. Recruitment for positions in corporate management bodies should nevertheless be based on skills, qualifications and experience of the candidate.

The Commission and Member States should implement new policies, for example by developing women's individual capabilities in-house through further training courses and other forms of professional support, such as mentoring and networking in order to help more women assume management posts.