Consultation that helps to make EU law and policymaking transparent, well targeted and coherent.
Consultations – together with impact assessments, evaluations and expertise – are a key tool for transparent and informed policymaking. They help ensure that decisions are taken in respect of principles of proportionality and subsidiarity, and that they are based on evidence and the experiences and views of those affected by the policies and involved in their implementation. Stakeholders include gender experts, women’s organisations, other civil society organisations, and social partners.
Stakeholder consultations are part of the participatory approach to gender mainstreaming. Close liaison with all policy stakeholders is essential throughout the policy cycle to take on board the concerns, expectations and views of the various target groups. It is recommended that opportunities and structures for stakeholder involvement and consultations are anchored into policy processes.