On Wednesday 14 November, at the end of the meeting of the Permanent Representatives Committee I (Coreper I), the Austrian Presidency of the EU Council received a new mandate to continue negotiations with the European Parliament, particularly in regards to paternity leave, which led to intense discussion.
Delegations gave the green light to the alignment of the remuneration for paternity leave with that of maternity leave according to national legislation. The issue of paternity leave was not so straightforward and has divided national delegations.
France, Portugal and Spain suggested this type alignment. However, several Member States, including Germany, the United Kingdom and Denmark, are reported to have expressed their opposition. Germany sees the introduction of paternity leave as an obstacle to its current standards of parental leave.
There was no agreement on carer and parental leave. On the subject of carer leave, the Austrian Presidency was not able to obtain the mandate of 5 days of leave per year. Furthermore, Member States are always in favour of leaving the setting of remuneration levels to their own discretion.
As for the non-transferability of parental leave, the Austrian Presidency tried to increase the remuneration period from one and a half months - as decreed in the Council's general approach (see EUROPE 12046) - to two months. But, yet again, no agreement was reached. The European Parliament was prepared to go as low as three months.
Member States also did not agree on the maximum age of the child required to request changes in working conditions. The status quo position therefore remains, that is, the lack of a maximum age.
Interinstitutional negotiations will resume on the evening of 19 November. The first meetings proved difficult due to an Austrian Presidency having too little room for manoeuvre (see EUROPE 12132). (Original version in French by Pascal Hansens)