WORKING CONDITIONS : EP COMMITTEE TO EXTEND MATERNITY LEAVE.

• Position: European Parliament

Members of the European Parliament's Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM), with their adoption of a report by Edite Estrela (S&D, Portugal) at first reading, on 23 February, recommended a 20-week maternity leave and a two-week paternity leave. The plenary and the Council will still have to be convinced, though, which cannot be taken for granted. In May 2009, just before the European elections, the plenary sent back to committee the first Estrela report, which also proposed 20 weeks, arguing that a compromise on the report with...