No L 145/4 Official Journal of the European Communities 19. 6. 96 COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 96/34/EC of 3 June 1996 on the framework agreement on parental leave concluded by UNICE, CEEP and the ETUC THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION, Having regard to the Agreement on social policy, annexed to the Protocol (No 14) on social policy, annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community, and in particular Atticle 4 (2) thereof, Having regard to the proposal from the Commission, (1) Whereas on the basis of the Protocol on social policy, the Member States, with the exception of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, (hereinafter referred to as ‘the Member States’), wishing to pursue the course mapped out by the 1989 Social Charter have concluded an Agree- ment on social policy amongst themselves; (2) Whereas management and labour may, in accordance with Article 4 (2) of the Agreement on social policy, request jointly that agreements at Community level be implemented by a Council decision on a proposal from the Commission; (3) Whereas paragraph 16 of the Community Charter of the Fundamental Social Rights of Workers on equal treatment for men and women provides, inter alia, that ‘measures should also be developed enabling men and women to reconcile their occupational and family obligations’; (4) Whereas the Council, despite the existence of a broad consensus, has not been able to act on the proposal for a Directive on parental leave for family reasons ('), as amended (%} on 15 November 1984; (5) Whereas the Commission, in accordance with Article 3 (2) of the Agreement on social policy, consulted management and labour on the possible direction of Community action with regard to recon- ciling working and family life; (6) Whereas the Commission, considering after such consultation that Community action was desirable, once again consulted management and labour on the substance of the envisaged proposal in accordance with Article 3 (3) of the said Agreement; (7) Whereas the general cross-industry organizations (Unice, CEEP and the ETUC) informed the Commission in their joint letter of 5§ July 1995 of () OJ No C 333, 9. 12. 1983, p. 6. () OJ No C 316, 27. 11. 1984, p. 7. their desire to initiate the procedure provided for by Article 4 of the said Agreement; (8) Whereas the said cross-industry organizations concluded, on 14 December 1995, a framework agreement on parental leave; whereas they have forwarded to the Commission their joint request to implement this framework agreement by a Council Decision on a proposal from the Commission in accordance with Article 4 (2) of the said Agreement; (9) Whereas the Council, in its Resolution of 6 December 1994 on certain aspects for a European Union social policy; a contribution to economic and social convergence in the Union (%), asked the two sides of industry to make use of the possibilities for concluding agreements, since they are as a rule closer to social reality and to social problems; whereas in Madrid, the members of the European Council from those States which have signed the Agreement on social policy welcomed the conclusion of this frame- work agreement; (10) Whereas the signatory parties wanted to conclude a framework agreement setting out minimum require- ments on parental leave and time off from work on grounds of force majeure and referring back to the Member States and/or management and labour for the definition of the conditions under which parental leave would be implemented, in order to take account of the situation, including the situation with regard to family policy, existing in each Member State, particularly as regards the conditions for gran- ting parental leave and exercise of the right to parental leave; (11) Whereas the proper instrument for implementing this framework agreement is a Directive within the meaning of Article 189 of the Treaty; whereas it is therefore binding on the Member States as to the result to be achieved, but leaves them the choice of form and methods; (12) Whereas, in keeping with the principle of subsidia- rity and the principle of proportionality as set out in Article 3b of the Treaty, the objectives of this Direc- tive cannot be sufficiently achieved by the Member States and can therefore be better achieved by the Community; whereas this Directive is confined to the minimum required to achieve these objectives and does not go beyond what is necessary to achieve that purpose; () OJ No C 368, 23. 12. 1994, p. 6.