Under a compromised agreed yesterday 21 June by labour ministers that met at the Council of the EU in Luxembourg, the right to 10 days of paid paternity leave will be introduced into EU law. Meanwhile at least one and a half months of the parental leave already granted under EU law (a minimum of four months) will be paid. Against the wishes of the European Commission, which recommended pay to be at least the same as that paid for sick leave, to encourage fathers to make use of their leave, member states will be free to set the level of pay. The text underlines, however, that such pay should be “adequate”.
On 21 June, the Council agreed its negotiating position or “general approach” on the directive on work-life balance for parents and carers, which revises the 2010/18 directive on parental leave. The body will now engage in three-way discussions, with the European Parliament and Commission, and the stance offers the possibility that the text be adopted by the end of the present legislature (May 2019).
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