Von der Leyen blasts EU governments for failing to agree gender balance legislation

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the glass ceiling 'remains firm in place at the top of European companies'. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

The president of the European Commission has blasted EU governments for failing to agree legislation that would see 40% of European company boards made up of women - 10 years after first being proposed.

Ursula von der Leyen, speaking at the European Women on Boards' Gender Diversity Award, said the glass ceiling "remains firm in place at the top of European companies".

The 40% target was first mooted in 2012 by the Commission, but remains in limbo within the EU Council, made up of ministers from national governments of the member states.

The likes of Germany have argued that such targets should be set by national governments, rather than be EU-led. Since the 2012 proposal, just 30% of the biggest publicly-listed firms have women on their boards.

Germany and seven other EU members have introduced their own domestic board representation targets, while France's biggest firms have around 45%. 

Ms von der Leyen said: "Still, too often, and especially when looking at top positions, we hear men say that it is not possible to find women with the right profile. 

Well, if you are seriously looking for them, you will find them.

"I know this well from experience, when I fought to have the first ever gender-balanced College of Commissioners.

"It has been 10 years since the Commission proposed to set a target of 40% for women on boards of publicly listed European firms. For 10 years, our efforts to put in place a European legislation have been blocked. 10 years where voluntary measures have not brought the change we need."

The likes of Germany and France are the countries where much has improved in recent years, but other states are lagging behind, the Commission's most powerful figure added.

Glass ceiling

"The glass ceiling remains firm in place at the top of European companies. If we look beyond boards, at the top leadership positions, just 7% of the largest European companies are led by a woman. 

"Boards are one thing - it is the knock-on effect that matters. As more diverse boards hire more diverse CEOs those, in turn, hire more diverse managers. We are making progress, but not fast enough, not everywhere in the EU, and not nearly enough," Ms von der Leyen said.

Putting targets into law was the solution to slow progress, according to the president.

"When change does not happen naturally, regulatory action is needed. The numbers speak for themselves. Legislation works. I will push, as President of the Commission, to ensure that our proposal on Women on Boards becomes EU law. 

"I have met with Member States and Members of Parliament. And I am confident that soon we will see progress. We cannot afford to lose another 10 years."