Neither the European commission nor parliament - in fact, no EU institution - has gender balance among its representatives. However, there is an opportunity to change this.
If the EU is serious about equal representation of men and women in the decision-making process, then a good place to start would be with the European economic and social committee (EESC) - the so-called 'EU house of civil society'. This would be a strong signal from Europe and allow us to move beyond lip-service, towards addressing gender parity in decision-making.
The appointment of the new commissioners last October was a great test for EU governments and commission president Jean-Claude Juncker to demonstrate leadership for a gender-balanced Europe - one that places women on par with men and recognises that women represent 51 per cent of society, and should therefore be included equally in decision-making processes.
RELATED CONTENT
However, out of 28 appointed commissioners, only nine are women. This is a blow to the concept of democratic governance and the EU's equality agenda.
This year brings a unique chance to redress this imbalance in at least one EU institution - the EESC will be appointing its members for a new five-year mandate. It currently has 353 members drawn from economic, social and various interest groups in Europe. In 2015, membership numbers must be reduced to less than 350 in accordance with the EU treaty.
EESC members will be appointed by the council of ministers after proposals by their member states. The council must take into account a commission proposal, drafted by first vice-president Frans Timmermans.
The EESC is relatively unknown among the general public. With certain legislation, the commission or the council is required to consult with the committee - in other cases, this is optional. The EESC may also adopt opinions under its own initiative.
On average, the EESC delivers 170 advisory documents and opinions each year, with a budget of €130m. Therefore, it has a key role to play in the EU's decision-making process.
As the embodiment of civil society in Europe, the EESC's role is to promote participatory democracy and advance the values upon which the European integration is founded.
However, currently only 23 per cent of its members are women - fewer than the Afghan parliament. If the 'house of civil society' is unable to represent women equally, then its legitimacy should be questioned.
We are calling for 50 per cent of the members appointed by each member state to be women. This would justify the crucial role that the EESC has to play within the EU structure, while also serving as an example for the other institutions to follow.
The council and commission have a responsibility to the treaties and to EU citizens to appoint EESC members in a fair and gender-balanced way that accurately reflects EU society.
This would not only legitimise the function the EESC has been called to perform - it would also strengthen the EU's democratic basis at a crucial time in its history.