Brussels, 21/05/2015 (Agence Europe) - In a resolution adopted by 419 votes in favour, 97 against, with 161 abstentions during the plenary session on Wednesday 20 May, the European Parliament called on the European Commission not to withdraw the directive on maternity leave, as it had threatened to do, despite the fact that the text has been blocked at the European Council for the past four years.
MEPs also used this occasion to call on the respective national ministers to restart the talks in order to reach an official position with the EP. Maria Arena (S&D, Belgium), the rapporteur, said: “We cannot help mothers by simply throwing away this directive... Women can't wait, they deserve, if they so wish, to be women, mothers and workers at the same time without being discriminated”.
Maternity leave is currently regulated at EU level by the 1992 directive, which lays down a minimum of 14 weeks of which six weeks would be compulsory and paid at the equivalent rate of full pay. In 2008, the Commission proposed a revision of the text, which would expand maternity leave by an additional four weeks (18 weeks in total) of which six weeks would be compulsory, with leave paid at the equivalent rate of full pay. In 2010, the European Parliament argued for extending maternity leave further, to 20 weeks, fully paid and of which six weeks would be compulsory after giving birth. Member state legislation on maternity leave, however, varies considerably and the member states did not manage to reach an agreement. Maternity leave varies between 14 and 28 weeks in member states and can, in certain circumstances, be as long as 52 weeks. There are also variations with regard to the part of maternity leave that is compulsory
In December 2014, the Commission decided to give the EP and Council another six months to reach an agreement but this deadline will soon be up and the Council has still not given its verdict. MEPs are afraid of there being a simple withdrawal of the proposal. It should be pointed out that the EP has also reiterated its demand in the resolution for paternity rights for fathers so that they can benefit from a minimum paid paternity leave of 10 working days. (Isabelle Lamberty)