Europe: increasing the proportion of women on large listed company boards - last chance for self-regulation says EU Justice Commissioner

Earlier this week the EU Justice Commissioner, Viviane Reding, held a summit in Brussels to consider how to increase the number of women on the boards of large companies and whether self-regulation or regulation should be the way to make significant changes quickly. A report was published - available here (pdf) - which provides, amongst other things, data on the number of women on large listed companies across Europe. Commissioner Reding observed: "For the next 12 months, I want to give self-regulation a last chance. I would like companies to be creative so that regulators do not have to become creative". For further background information, see here.