By Martin Banks - 11th March 2010
I hope that, once they realise the damage that could be done to business, MEPs will rethink the plans
Marina Yannakoudakis
Possible plans to grant pregnant women 20 weeks maternity leave on full pay have been shelved pending a full impact assessment, it has emerged.
A European parliament report recommends that new commission plans to allow mums-to-be 18 weeks maternity leave should be extended to 20 weeks.
Maternity leave is currently set by a 1992 EU directive, which sets a minimum duration of 14 weeks although this currently differs widely across the EU.
The directive aims to harmonise maternity rights at an EU-wide level.
The report, adopted by the women's rights committee last month, recommends that the 20 weeks' leave should be on compulsory full pay whereas the commission draft says this should be non-compulsory.
The document, by Portuguese Socialist deputy Edite Estrella, also introduces a two-week paternity leave provision.
MEPs were due to vote on her report at the mini-plenary in Brussels later this month (24-25 March) but political group leaders decided on Thursday to postpone the vote until May pending a full impact assessment.
Parliament has co-decision powers over the dossier, which is seen as controversial because some in the business community fear the legislation will hit them unfairly.
Marina Yannakoudakis, ECR women's committee spokesman, said that she hoped the extra time would enable MEPs to take a 'long hard look' at the costs of the proposals to both small businesses and to the public purse.
She also said that the commission draft directive, part of the EU's work-life balance package, would hurt women, by increasing the risk of them being indirectly discriminated against in the workplace.
Yannakoudakis said, "MEPs need to take a long hard look at the cost of these plans to governments and businesses. I am pleased that we have been able to agree a postponement of the vote so that we can have a clear assessment of the costs of these plans.
"I hope that, once they realise the damage that could be done to business, MEPs will rethink the plans."
"The vote in the women's committee was fairly close and I believe that an impact assessment on the parliament's report could tip the balance in our favour.
"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 reduce a woman's right to choose, and make young women less employable. It's time for these plans to be taken back to the drawing board."
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