In December 2013 the Council of the European Union adopted its conclusions on the effectiveness of institutional mechanisms for the advancement of women and gender equality (PDF).
Among them, the need for Member States ‘to ensure that bodies for the promotion, analysis, monitoring and support of equal treatment of all persons without discrimination on the grounds of sex, in particular those bodies whose remit covers discrimination on several grounds, while fulfilling their independent functions as prescribed by relevant EU directives, devote sufficient attention to combating discrimination on the ground of sex and promoting equal treatment for women and men, and regularly assess the share of financial and personnel resources dedicated for this work.’
