By Martin Banks - 2nd December 2010
Common sense has prevailed
Marina Yannakoudakis
British Conservative MEP Marina Yannakoudakis has welcomed reports that member states are set to reject controversial proposals on maternity leave voted for by MEPs in October.
Her comments come after it was reported in the media on Thursday that national governments will next week dismiss a plan from parliament to extend the basic right to maternity leave to 20 weeks on full pay.
In October, a majority of MEPs voted in favour of 20 weeks' maternity leave and two weeks' paternity leave, claiming a victory for gender equality and work-life balance.
At present, the minimum is 14 weeks, but there are widespread fears the new proposals will come at a great cost to SMEs.
Since the draft law was approved, parliament has faced opposition from member states and it believed that the proposal will be rejected when EU employment and social affairs ministers meet on Monday.
Yannakoudakis said, however, that "common sense" had prevailed, adding, "Unlike MEPs, it seems that council actually took on board the findings of an impact assessment that I had called for.
"In that assessment the costs to both small businesses and to the public purse would have been crippling.
"Above all, the directive would have hurt women by increasing the risk of them being indirectly discriminated against in the workplace.
"The EU should not be deciding how much time new mothers and fathers should take off. That is a matter for national governments and an individual's personal choice.
"These plans would have reduced a woman's right to choose, and made young women less employable.
"After the council rejection it is time for these plans to be taken back to the drawing board and replaced by something that actually protects women's rights instead of hindering them."
