The European Union and women's rights: from the Europeanization of national agendas to the nationalization of a European agenda?

Whereas in other policy sectors, established, national policies have become progressively 'Europeanized', the EC was a major catalyst in the generation and extension of national sex equality laws. The origins of these policies lie in second-wave feminism during the late 1960s and 1970s which sought to 'reframe' the way in which policies affecting women were addressed. This article highlights the importance of the EC institutions, notably the European Commission and the European Court of Justice in supporting the rights of working women and forcing national policy change. The impact of these measures has nevertheless been limited by the existence of national 'policy hinterlands' based upon conflicting policy frames. The future development of EC sex equality policies is uncertain. 'Mainstreaming' is a potentially important development, but its success depends upon the willingness of policy-makers to consider routinely the gender dimension of policy options. The provisions of the Amsterdam Treaty I:elating to sex equality may prove important in this respect.