Brussels, 24/06/2010 (Agence Europe) - On Thursday 24 June, the Council adopted a directive which increases the social protection of the self-employed and assisting spouses to consolidate the principle of equality of treatment for men and women seeking to start or extend self-employed activity. Adoption of the directive follows the second reading agreement with the European Parliament (see EUROPE 10132).
The new directive, for the first time, gives self-employed women and spouses assisting self-employed workers the right to maternity benefits, and sets up independent social protection rights for spouses assisting self-employed workers (see EUROPE 10141). (G.B./transl.rt)