Commission axes pregnant workers bill

The European Commission announced on the 18 June 2014 that a plan to extend maternity leave for pregnant workers was one of five bills that would not be retabled in the following legislature.

The European Parliament had voted for the measure in 2014 but opposition by some EU Member States within the Council had prevented the measure being adopted.

This move was confirmed by the European Commission in December 2014, if agreement on the proposal could not be agreed within the EU Institutions in the following six months.

• Primary Source

ESO: Background information: Ministers to shelve maternity leave directive http://www.europeansources.info/record/ministers-to-shelve-maternity-leave-directive/

EurActiv, 07.07.14: Draft EU law on maternity leave to be scrapped as ‘red tape’ http://www.euractiv.com/sections/social-europe-jobs/draft-eu-law-maternity-leave-be-scrapped-red-tape-303316

EUObserver, 16.07.14: Controversial maternity leave bill scrapped http://euobserver.com/social/124990

EUObserver, 11.12.14: EU to scrap maternity leave bill http://euobserver.com/justice/126878

European Parliament: Press Release, 16.07.14: Council urged to resume talks on maternity leave directive http://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/news-room/content/20140711IPR52239/

EUR-Lex: Follow the progress of COM (2008)637 http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/HIS/?uri=CELEX:52008PC0637&qid=1418631509755

Council of the European Union: Register: CODEC 2298: Note from the Presidency, 24.11.14: Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Council Directive 92/85/EEC on the introduction of measures to encourage improvements in the safety and health at work of pregnant workers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding http://data.consilium.europa.eu/doc/document/ST-15764-2014-INIT/en/pdf

EurActiv, 16.03.15: MEPs’ last attempt to save maternity leave extension http://www.euractiv.com/sections/social-europe-jobs/meps-last-attempt-save-maternity-leave-extension-312888

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