Umea, 25/09/2014 (Agence Europe) - The draft directive on maternity leave, which the European Commission is threatening to withdraw, is expected to be a priority for future Commissioners Vera Jourova and Marianne Thyssen - in charge of equal opportunities and employment respectively. The European Women's Lobby (EWL) is calling on the two future commissioners to work on the issue as part of the Commission's REFIT programme for legislative simplification - although before the summer the Commission suggested the possibility of withdrawing the draft maternity leave directive. The dossier has effectively been blocked at the Council for more than four years. The European Parliament, on the other hand, expressed a first reading position that corresponds to EWL's expectations. EWL is therefore calling for the two commissioners, particularly Jourova, to save the dossier and take action on this subject as soon as they begin their mandate. The threat of removing the maternity leave directive from the legislative process is “serious”, warned EWL secretary general, Joanna Maycock. She explained that this went against the European rhetoric on Europe's commitment to equality for women and the work-life balance for both men and women. EWL organised an event at the European Parliament on Wednesday 24 September in an effort to exert pressure to ensure that this directive is put back on the agenda, and to ensure that the Parliament keeps to its position and that member states get back to work on the issue. (MD)