On 3 October 2008 the European Commission proposed increasing maternity leave to 18 weeks, of which six would be taken after the birth.
"Mērķis ir mātes veselība — ļaut sievietēm atlabt pēc dzemdībām un izveidot stabilu saiti ar bērnu," uzsver Parlamenta referente Edite ESTRELA (PES, PT).