Local view for "http://purl.org/linkedpolitics/eu/plenary/2010-10-18-Speech-1-045"
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"en.20101018.13.1-045"2
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"Madam President, the report we are now discussing is crucial for parents and children in Europe as well as for Europe as a community. The provisions in this piece of legislation contribute to ensuring that all women across Europe have the same minimum rights and assistance when deciding to have children. They also ensure that women who decide to have children are not punished financially for their choice to be mothers by trying to combine it with their careers.
A very important factor is Europe’s demographic challenge. Falling birth rates and an ageing population and, as a consequence, a falling labour force, are putting a huge strain on maintaining economic growth, especially in times of crisis.
Is the solution one of encouraging women not to have children, or following an American model where women have no or little support and have to go back to work before they have even recovered from giving birth? If it is, then I say no. Not having children is more expensive for the community in the long run. Women need to recover from giving birth in order to be ready to enter the labour market again. Allowing them 18 weeks is a minimum and they should not be punished for this by direct or indirect cuts.
In 24 EU Member States out of 27, it is the governments who contribute to the maternity leave and not businesses. Would businesses not want to invest in the young women they have recruited and trained? We should have social responsibility. Knowing that the EU and its Member States have spent an enormous amount of money on rescuing banks, we have to ask why money must always be saved at the expense of women. Fathers should also be able to take time off to spend with their newborn babies.
We keep on talking about shared responsibilities and now we can do something about it. Some here believe that it is not acceptable. Hopefully, Commissioner Šefčovič will show us that he is going to be very clear and progressive on this."@en1
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