5. Calls on the Member States to increase their efforts to prevent segregation of job markets by including in their structural labour market reforms instruments such as the European Social Fund (ESF) to combat professional segregation of women, as manifested both in the inadequate representation of women in leading positions and in the gender-segregated labour market, through effective measures against prejudices and stereotypes, as well as ‘glass ceiling’ barriers, exchange of good practice and benchmarking indicators between the Member States, and legislative measures including quotas to increase women’s representation in leading posit ...[+++]ions;

33. Welcomes the steady but timid progress towards a more balanced gender participation in FP7, since diversity is important for creativity and innovation; points out that female researchers tend to work on smaller, less profiled research projects and tasks and that a highly problematic ‘glass ceiling’ seems to exist for female researchers, leading to a decrease of the share of female researchers with seniority, as also indicated by the low number of female researchers selected for the ERC advanced investigator grant; agrees that measures to boost female participation should be reinforced throughout project lifecycles (with particular att ...[+++]ention to flexible working hours, improved child-care facilities, social security provisions and parental leave) and that the Commission should reinvigorate its approach to promoting female scientists and should aim to galvanise Member States to address gender gaps; underlines that the 40% target for female participation in the Programme and Advisory Committees should be sensitively implemented; calls on the Commission to establish a cross-cutting committee to monitor and advice on the representation of female researchers and to develop a Gender Action Plan as recommended by the FP6 Ex Post Evaluation; calls on universities and EU Institutions to promote science as an interesting field for both sexes from early stages of education on, by promoting female researchers as role models;

33. Welcomes the steady but timid progress towards a more balanced gender participation in FP7, since diversity is important for creativity and innovation; points out that female researchers tend to work on smaller, less profiled research projects and tasks and that a highly problematic ‘glass ceiling’ seems to exist for female researchers, leading to a decrease of the share of female researchers with seniority, as also indicated by the low number of female researchers selected for the ERC advanced investigator grant; agrees that measures to boost female participation should be reinforced throughout project lifecycles (with particular att ...[+++]ention to flexible working hours, improved child-care facilities, social security provisions and parental leave) and that the Commission should reinvigorate its approach to promoting female scientists and should aim to galvanise Member States to address gender gaps; underlines that the 40% target for female participation in the Programme and Advisory Committees should be sensitively implemented; calls on the Commission to establish a cross-cutting committee to monitor and advice on the representation of female researchers and to develop a Gender Action Plan as recommended by the FP6 Ex Post Evaluation; calls on universities and EU Institutions to promote science as an interesting field for both sexes from early stages of education on, by promoting female researchers as role models;

Industry in candidate countries presents both strengths and weaknesses: very low labour costs and a good level of technical qualification in a number of sectors (steel, ceramics, glass, cement, mechanical production) are its main strengths.

However, given the economics of float glass production and the very low price elasticity for float glass products, there remains an abiding risk of anti-competitive parallel behaviour through the establishment of the necessary coordinating instruments.

Finally, it has been ascertained that the joint venture will not eliminate competition either in the leadglass market, where several alternative sources of supply exist within and outside the EEA, or in the lamp market, given the small importance of leadglass in the final production costs of a lamp or in respect of the future lead-free components, where several important companies in the world are actively working.