By Daniel Gera, Dorottya Gindl

Gender equality may be a core EU principle, but it will not become a reality without effective legal action. To meet the EU objective of reaching a 75% employment rate for both men and women by 2020, the European Commission aims to change the existing legal framework.

Thus, the European Commission has proposed to implement a directive on work-life balance for parents and carers and repeal the EU Parental Leave Directive (2010/18/EU). The proposed directive aims to increase the number of dual-earning families and help women return to work, while also requiring more flexibility from employers regarding employment types. Employers may benefit from certain flexible working schemes, although they may need to adjust to the new types of leave.