MEPs reiterate their willingness to help break the deadlock and call on the Commission to work to reconcile the positions of Parliament and the Council, in a resolution passed by 419 votes to 97, with 161 abstentions.

"What kind of Europe are we living in, if those who create life here are penalised? What kind of Europe are we living in, if giving birth is synonymous with poverty? We cannot help mothers by simply throwing away this directive”, said rapporteur Maria Arena (S&D, BE). Since 1992, when the maternity leave directive was approved, we have made no progress. Women can't wait, they deserve, if they so wish, to be women, mothers and workers at the same time without being discriminated", she added.

If the Commission does withdraw the draft, then MEPs urge it to table a new legislative initiative before the end of the year.

Paternity leave

Parliament also reiterates its call to entitle fathers to at least ten working days’ paternity leave, in addition to the mother's leave.

Background for editors

Maternity leave is regulated at EU level by the 1992 directive, which lays down a minimum of 14 weeks. In October 2008, the Commission proposed to review the current legislation (Directive 92/85), as part of the "work-life balance" package, based on the International Labour Organisation's Maternity Protection Convention of 2000.

In October 2010 the European Parliament closed its first reading and submitted the amended legislation to the Council to extend maternity leave from 14 to 20 weeks on full pay and introduce two weeks’ fully paid paternity leave.

The Council has yet to state any position on this issue.

The Commission announced its intention to withdraw the proposal as part of its Regulatory Fitness and Performance Programme (REFIT).