Throughout the enlargement process, discussions and negotiations on gender equality have implied more than candidate countries just catching up with EU legislation and process. The creation of an ever closer union of the peoples of Europe and inclusion of these countries within the European Union brings a wealth of experience and achievements from which the existing member states can also learn. This process of mutual amalgamation of what has been achieved across so many countries can be expected to refocus gender equality in Europe and to provide a fresh and promising impetus towards a gender equal society.1