Resolution adopted: the FEMM Committee urges the Council to resume the negotiations regarding the maternity leave directive
[Brussels, 6 May 2015] The Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee meeting of May decided on very important issues.
Challenging the MEPs, pregnant women workers and mothers of young children attended the meeting to show their support and address the danger of the Commission’s plans to withdraw the directive after four years’ of deadlock in the Council.
The Committee adopted the resolution on the maternity leave directive by 19 votes in favour, 3 against and 11 abstentions, allowing it to be presented at the next Plenary.
According to the text, MEPs reiterate their willingness to end the deadlock and call on the Commission to play its role of the "honest broker". The Commission should engage in reconciling the positions of both Parliament and the Council.
We can only note with concern the lack of legal basis regarding the previous decision of the Commission threatening to derail the entire process. If the European Commission decides to withdraw a draft law, members of the Committee will urge the Commission to come up with the new legislative initiative under the forthcoming Luxembourg presidency of the EU Council.
This would not be satisfying as we don’t want the proposal to fall again into a cycle of endless discussions. We keep calling the institutions to “deliver now!”, meaning that they should assume their responsibility regarding Equality and Health for European Women.
And not to forget, the draft Report of the EU strategy between women and menpost 2015 has been adopted by the Committee with large majority.
