ABSTRACT
In 1988, Helen D’Ancona declared that the European Community (EC) was, legislatively, the most progressive political community for women in the world.1 From the point of view of legislation this may well be true, but what does this mean in practice? Where is ‘gender’ located in European level politics today? My reading of current opinions and literature would suggest only qualified support for the achievements of the EC/European Union (EU)2 in terms of the 1979 UN declaration for the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women. European countries signed this UN declaration, sometimes referred to as the ‘Magna Carta for Women’. But how serious were they and how well have they managed the processes of change? This chapter will raise questions concerning the present and future success of the stated aims of the EU, confining itself to observations of the EU decision making levels.
