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European Parliament - MEP's Postpone
Vote on EU Maternity Leave Rules
06.05.2009
EUOBSERVER / BRUSSELS – MEPs on Wednesday (6 May) decided to postpone a vote on rules that would extend the minimum length of maternity leave across the EU and could introduce a number of paternity leave provisions, passing on the legislation to the next parliament to deal with.
The European Commission in October presented rules extending the minimum length of maternity leave across the 27-nation bloc from 14 to 18 weeks.
The time mothers are allowed to take off after
giving birth currently varies widely across the EU (Photo: Wikipedia.org)
In April, the European Parliament's women's rights and gender equality committee voted to extend this period to 20 weeks.
The bill, shepherded through the chamber by Portuguese Socialist MEP Edite Estrela, also called on member states to provide for "a continuous period of non-transferable fully paid paternity or co-maternity leave of at least two compulsory weeks, to be taken after the [birth of the baby]."
MEPs gathered for a last plenary session in Strasbourg before the European elections in June were on Wednesday expected to vote on the legislation.
Following a call by Luxembourgish centre-right MEP Astrid Lulling, the parliamentarians opted to postpone the move, however.
The text contains 89 amendments, all contradicting each other, which shows that positions between parliamentarians are still too different, Ms Lulling said on behalf of her group, the EPP-ED.
This is why instead of voting on it now, the report should be referred back to the employment committee, she added.
"That way we can think, we have more time ... and we can eventually vote on a report that we can negotiate with the Council [representing EU member states] and the commission," she said at a press conference.
The move means it will now be for the next parliament to deal with the legislation, which will then need to be approved by EU member states and the commission as well, making it unlikely for it to enter into force in the next 18 months.
Spanish Green MEP Raül Romeva, vice-president of the women's rights and gender equality committee, criticised the delay.
"Conservatives and Liberals in the European Parliament apparently don't think it is a priority to support mothers and fathers and address their difficulties in reconciling work and family responsibilities," Mr Romeva said.
"Given that Conservatives in particular like to preach family values, they were strangely reticent to vote today on health and safety measures for pregnant workers and for working mothers who have recently given birth," he added.
Maternity leave currently varies strongly across the bloc, from 14 weeks in Germany, to 52 weeks in the UK or 58 weeks in Bulgaria.
The amount of maternity leave during which the mother receives her full salary also depends on individual countries, but it would be fixed to six weeks under the new rules.
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