EPHA calls on the European Parliament to extend maternity leave on public health grounds

¨**Update** During its meeting in Brussels on 6 December, EU social affairs ministers held a policy debate on the draft directive aimed at improving the protection of pragnant worksers and workers who have recently given birth or are breastfeeding.

The Council refused to accept the amendments of the European Parliament regarding the requested extension of the minimum maternity leave to 20 weeks on full pay. The length of leave and the renumeration of mothers are the two issues on which the Council’s decision differs from the one taken by the EP.

Many ministers were against the inclusion on paternity leave within the draft directive on maternity leave, stating that as such it would not aim at improving the health and safety of pregnant workers but rather at "reconciliation of work, family and private life" - already covered by other EU rules.

Next steps: The Belgian Presidency is currently preparing a document outlining ways the Council could compromise its position on maternity leave and the rights of women workers. The document is to be finalised by the end of 2010, shared with all other 26 Member States, and closely consulted with the responsible ministers in the Hungarian and Polish governments - as the next two rotating Council presidencies will be held by these two countries in 2011.

The Council hopes to arrive on its finalised position in 2011.

**Update 20 October** The European Parliament approved the report in Plenary.

The European Parliament voted by 390 to 192 the extension of maternity and paternity leave across Europe. The European Parliament has voted in favour of extending both maternity and paternity leave across Europe. The proposal calls for the minimum period of maternity leave to be extended from 14 to 20 weeks fully paid. It also approved an entitlement to paid paternity leave of two weeks.

The Parliament also adopted amendments to ban the dismissal of pregnant workers from the beginning of a pregnancy to at least 6 months following the end of the maternity leave. It also said that women must be entitled to return to their jobs or to "equivalent posts", i.e. a position with the same pay, professional category and duties as before their maternity leave.

The Parliament also approved amendments where workers must not be obliged to perform night work or work overtime during the 10 weeks prior to childbirth, during the remainder of the pregnancy in cases where the mother or the unborn child have health problems, and during the entire period of breastfeeding.

**Update 19 October** EPHA sends out letter to MEPs in FEMM, EMPL, and ENVI Committees urging them to protect the mother`s and infant`s health through extending maternity leave and promoting breast feeding. The letter is available here

For more information
 Extending maternity leave to 20 weeks with full pay
 Maternity rules: Greens welcome EP vote to raise EU standards minimum maternity and paternity leave
 Euro MPs vote for better maternity and paternity leave

The Women’s Rights and Gender Equality Committee of the European Parliament (FEMM Committee) has produced its report on the "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"- also known as the Maternity Leave Directive.

On 23 February 2010, the report was adopted in the FEMM Committee and called for a 20 weeks maternity leave throughout the EU, fully paid and with strengthened legal protection against dismissal. Rapporteur Edite Estrela MEP (S&D, Portugal, member of the FEMM but also ENVI Committees of the EP) lead the work of the Committee on this file.

EPHA followed the adoption process in the FEMM Committee and underlined in its communications to MEPs the importance of the work on this file and enclosed a number of key recommendations to improve the health and well-being of babies and young children, their mothers and their families. Moreover, EPHA added that this needed to be achieved through the protection, promotion and support of breastfeeding and optimal infant feeding practices, as public health evidence indicates.

In this specific process, the European Public Health Alliance supported the comments made by rapporteur Edite Estrela MEP in committee and in the explanatory statement to her Second Draft Report, calling for an extension to the minimum number of weeks paid maternity leave for all mothers. Furthermore, the proposal to introduce measures safeguarding the right to breastfeeding breaks was also supported by EPHA. Ms. Estrela made regular reference to WHO guidelines as the basis of her report. Amendments proposed by Marina Yannakoudakis MEP and Caroline Lucas MEP were also welcomed by the European public health community.

Background information

EPHA has been advocating for better policies targetting babies and their mothers for a long time. In its 2006 Response to the Commission Green Paper on healthy diets and physical activity, EPHA had already pointed out that it would be extremely important "to implement the breastfeeding breaks which are in most national legislations to protect lactating women and offering lactation support and separate rooms to allow to continue breastfeeding while back to work." Moreover, EPHA had added: "The Green Paper has omitted to highlight and to ask for comments on the protection of the health of babies and infants and breastfeeding as best possible nutrition for babies. Scientific evidence has consistently shown that the use of formula rather than breastfeeding increases infant mortality rates, increases rates for illnesses such as infectious diseases, chronic diseases and autoimmune diseases and offers less than optimal development and growth, for example, lower cognitive and visual development and increased risk of obesity7. Therefore, EPHA calls for an EU strategy that protects, promotes and supports the exclusive and continued breastfeeding . There is a need to ensure that all EU policies and practices are in line with the Global Strategy on Infant and Young Child Feeding."

The World Health Organisation recognises that in the period after birth most infants, even the most vulnerable, grow and develop normally if they are exclusively breastfed. If foods or drinks are introduced too early or are not given safely in the correct quantity at the optimum time, growth rates falter dramatically and can lead to growth retardation. By the time these children are two years old, many will be stunted. There is also evidence indicating that breastfeeding has long-term health benefits and plays a role in preventing the development of some chronic noncommunicable diseases in adults, such as obesity.

Low rates and early cessation of breastfeeding have important adverse health and social implications for women, children, the community and the environment. This will result in an unnecessary burden on the national health care services and increased inequalities in health across Europe. It is therefore recommended that all infants be exclusively breastfed from birth to about six months of age, and at least for the first four months of life. To achieve this goal it is crucial that the correct social and employment policy framework is implemented to facilitate such practices.

Extensive experience clearly shows that breastfeeding can only be protected, promoted and supported through concerted and coordinated action.

For more information

 European Parliament Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality

 European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs

 WHO Europe