Denne anerkendelse afspejles i Amsterdam-traktaten, der gør mainstreaming til en målsætning for Unionen, eller også i forankringen af princippet om lige muligheder som fjerde søjle i EU's beskæftigelsespolitik.
This recognition is reflected in the Amsterdam Treaty, in which equality between men and women is set out as a goal of the Union, and in the fact that the principle of equal opportunities is enshrined as the fourth pillar of EU employment policy.