EU: the qualification period required to be eligible for paternity leave is the final question to be discussed to allow the adoption of the ‘conciliation’ draft directive

Europe’s co-legislators have almost secured agreement on the draft directive on ‘conciliation’ (c.f. article No. 10177). During what had been scheduled as their final meeting on 14 December they signed off on all but one of the provisions in the text that aims to support the achievement of a work|life balance for parents and home-carers. The final outstanding point is with regard to the qualification period required to receive remuneration during the paternity leave period. The file now gets transferred for further treatment under Romania’s EU Presidency period that commences in January 2019.
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Main points of interim agreement. Following three negotiation meetings, the EU Parliament, Council (representing the EU Member States) and the Commission have agreed upon the following points:

  • Parental leave: the original proposal was to establish the individual right to parental leave of at least 4 months (already intended) that would have to be taken up before the child is 12 (compared with 8 currently). The text clarified that the leave period could not be transferred to the other parent and
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