Brussels, 16/07/2014 (Agence Europe) - At a debate at its plenary session on Tuesday 15 July, the members of the European Parliament were up in arms at the European Commission's intention to withdraw its proposed revision of the directive on maternity leave. The Italian Presidency, however, appears determined to relaunch the debate on this law from 1994, which was put forward for revision in 2008.
The suggestion was made for the proposal to revise this text, which has not been discussed for two and a half years, to be withdrawn by the Commission, as part of its REFIT programme to lighten the administrative and legislative burden, which was proposed in June. This move has annoyed many MEPs who took part in the debate, particularly the Socialists and Greens. The European Parliament, which adopted a negotiation mandate as long ago as 2010 to extend maternity leave to 20 weeks, has always been up against the misgivings of the Council, which is highly divided over the issue.
The vice-president of the European Commission, Siim Kallas, who attended the debate, justified the proposal to withdraw the matter on the grounds that the revision had been blocked for too long. He said that despite the “considerable efforts” of the European Commission in the matter as mediator, it had proved “impossible” to reach an outcome and to start “serious” negotiations.
In view of this, however, he stressed that the Commission's commitment to defend the European maternity leave remains intact. He raised the possibility that the new Commission president will discuss this with his forthcoming College of Commissioners, so that the objectives are targeted in the work programme for 2015. The aim would be “possibly a new start with a more modern, more contemporary text”, said the commissioner, who added that a new proposal “would take account of social changes since 2008”.
However, both the rapporteur Alessandra Moretti (S&D, Italy) and the Italian minister Sandro Gozi on behalf of the Italian Presidency stressed their intentions of resuming talks on the issue.
The newly appointed rapporteur to take over from Edite Estrela did, however, concede that the various sensitivities, national traditions and starting points were very different. (MD)