Press Release: Council strengthens social protection of self-employed workers and assisting spouses, Luxembourg, 24 June 2010

The Council adopted a directive strengthening the social protection of self-employed workers and of 'assisting spouses', thereby aiming to strengthen the principle of equal treatment between men and women who want to establish or extend a self-employed activity. The adoption of the directive follows an agreement with the European Parliament at second reading.

The new directive entitles self-employed women and assisting female spouses of self-employed workers for the first time to maternity benefits and creates autonomous social protection rights for assisting spouses of self-employed workers.