NORRKOEPING, Sweden, Jan 23 (AFP) - The European Union on Tuesday slammed US President George Bush's decision to bar overseas funding for groups that perform or advocate abortion, calling it a setback for women's rights.

"It's a step backwards," EU Employment and Social Affairs Commissioner Anna Diamantopoulou said during a press conference in the Swedish town of Norrkoeping, where EU social affairs ministers held an informal meeting.

"Why is it so easy to undo what we have earned during the last years, to change in one day the policies concerning women rights," she asked.

"The European Union can't influence Bush, but we can express our disappointment," she added.

On his first working day in office as new president on Monday, Bush reimposed a ban on the use of US federal funds for overseas groups that perform or advocate abortions.

"It is my conviction that taxpayer funds should not be used to pay for abortions or advocate or actively promote abortion, either
here or abroad," Bush said in his executive order.

The ban was originally introduced by another Republican president, Ronald Reagan, in 1984 and maintained by George Bush
senior, but was reversed by Democratic president Bill Clinton in 1993.

Swedish Gender Equality Minister Margareta Winberg said she would ask Swedish Prime Minister Goeran Persson to raise the issue at the next EU-US summit. No date has been fixed for that meeting, but it is due to be held before the Swedish presidency concludes in June.

The EU reaction came as social affairs ministers of the 15 member states concluded a two-day informal meeting aimed at reducing inequality between men and women in Europe.

Measures suggested included the possible creation of a gender equality institute to narrow the wage gap and eliminate
discrimination. The proposals will be presented to heads of state and government at an EU summit in Stockholm in March.

"A European gender institute could serve as an important tool," the Swedish EU presidency said in a statement.

One of the first tasks of such an institute would be to conduct a thorough assessment of the current discrepancies.

"Statistics on wages must be supplemented and improved in various respects to facilitate assessment of the wage situation at
EU and national levels," the document said.

According to the Swedish presidency, the Norrkoeping meeting highlighted "the need to make pay differentials between women and men visible in order to establish an informative basis for various steps aimed at shrinking the wage gap."

The Swedish presidency suggested the European Union could set gender equality goals similar to the employment targets set in Lisbon in March 2000, when member states agreed to raise female employment from 51 to 60 percent by 2010.

The informal meeting, entitled "Gender Equality and Social Security -- an engine for economic growth", was the first organised
by Sweden since it took over the EU presidency for the first time in January.

The Union also urged candidate countries -- who attended the Norrkoeping meeting -- to actively promote the role of women in
society.

Jan/23/2001 17:44 GMT
EOS (AFP) Jan/23/2001 12:44 85
-0- (ATT) Jan/23/2001 18:00 GMT