EC urged to avoid EU-wide paternity legislation
A submission has been made to the European Commission (EC) to
urge it to avoid rolling out EU-wide legislation regarding
paternity leave.
Chambers across Europe have been joined by The British Chambers
of Commerce (BCC) to encourage the EC not to set down common EU
rules on length of leave and pay.
Currently, the EC is considering introducing different
legislative and non-legislative options for rolling out paternity
leave at the EU level. Its ongoing consultation is investigating
the measures which govern the length and remuneration levels of
paternity leave.
The BCC has warned that 'considerable costs' would be incurred
if an attempt to 'set down common EU rules' was successful.
Head of EU Representation at the BCC, Kieran O'Keeffe, said,
"The EU should avoid legislating on paternity leave and allow
member states to tailor systems to their own national circumstances
and labour market conditions.
"Europe needs to focus on growth, not adding new payroll costs
for overburdened companies and national social security systems. A
move, for example, to increase paternity leave to full pay would be
particularly onerous, costing the UK £400 million annually.
"We have fragile labour markets not just in the UK but right
across the EU; further European legislation would only serve to
strangle growth and hinder job creation," he added.