The European Commission proposed today to extend the minimum fully paid maternity leave in the 27-country union from 14 weeks to 18 and to give better job protection to women taking or returning from such leave.
Longer maternity leave should make it easier for women for return to work after giving birth, the commission said.
The EU executive also proposed that self-employed women should get the same maternity leave as salaried employees so that they would not be put off becoming self-employed.
The proposals are part of an EU drive to get more women into the workforce and cope with problems posed by the ageing of the European population.
Ireland is already ahead of the game in terms of maternity leave with women having the right to 26 weeks leave on benefit and a further 16 weeks unpaid.
Labour MEP for Dublin Proinsias De Rossa has welcomed new EU proposals on maternity leave that were announced today.
“Policies to help people balance their work and family life improve the quality of life for everyone and help to keep people in the labour force, especially women."
Mr De Rossa said he particularly welcomed the principle of full pay during the first 18 weeks of leave, giving women returning to work from maternity the right to negotiate for flexible work arrangements, greater flexibility for women to decide when to take their maternity leave, and tighter protections in line with ECJ [European Court of Justice] rulings against dismissal during maternity.
“The Government mismanagement of the economy must not be used as an excuse to block this progressive measure," he added.
But British Conservative member of the European Parliament Philip Bushill-Matthews criticised the proposal as detrimental to small business and said national governments should decide such things.
"Flexible working and work-life balance must be encouraged but it is not for Brussels to tell British mothers and fathers how much leave they should take," he said.
Additional reporting Reuters