Brussels, 01/07/2015 (Agence Europe) - As announced in the framework of its working programme 2015, which was presented in December of last year, the European Commission decided on Wednesday 1 July to withdraw three directives at stalemate at the Council and, in particular, announced the withdrawal of the directive on maternity leave, to the great consternation of the MEPs. It also announced the withdrawal of the Earth observation by satellite directive, but undertook to continue work on the proposed regulation on organic farming and the labelling of organic products, a dossier which has “made a great deal of progress”, the Commission explained, and which will therefore not be withdrawn.
However, it was the announced shelving of the 'maternity leave' directive - at stalemate at the Council since 2008 and on which there has been no prospect of any progress, the Commission explained - which provoked the wrath of the S&D, Greens/EFA and ALDE groups. Although the Commission reiterated its promise to come back with a new approach in 2016, and possibly even a new proposal, these groups felt that the withdrawal of the 2008 text was a real blow to EU social policy.
“By keeping it at deadlock for five years, the governments of the member states have managed to have this legislation thrown out on the grounds that it is no longer topical! As far as I'm concerned, this is a real backward step”, said Belgian Socialist Marie Arena. “Clearly, the fundamental right to guaranteed maternity leave of 18 weeks, with full pay for six of them and 85% for the rest, for all European mothers, is not a priority!”.
The Greens/EFA said that the “decision to withdraw the maternity leave directive speaks volumes. The Juncker Commission is moving backwards on social policy, including policies with a particular impact on women and this is a nail in the coffin of one of very few policies which improve the social rights of the citizens”, said Catalan MEP Ernest Urtasun. For its part, ALDE lamented the fact that the co-legislator role of the EP, which voted on the subject, had been ignored.
In December 2014, the Commission gave the proposal a stay of execution of six months. “The Commission went to enormous lengths to break the deadlock and called on the Council several times to resume talks with the Parliament, which said that it was prepared to compromise. However, the Latvian Presidency of the Council informed the Commission that no agreement was in sight”, the Commission explained.
On the Earth observation satellite data directive, the positions differ considerably, “partly because just five member states currently have a provider of satellite data on their territory. Many of these member states expressed their concerns at the implications of the proposal for security”, the Commission explained. Again, it will put forward a new initiative in 2016. (Solenn Paulic)