Minimum maternity leave in the EU should be extended from 14 to 20 weeks and be fully paid, the European Parliament's committee on women's rights says. An entitlement to paid paternity leave of at least two weeks was also approved by the committee.

The draft legislation seeks to lay down minimum rules at EU level. Member states may introduce or keep existing rules that are more favourable to workers than those laid down in the directive.

MEPs proposed that the minimum maternity leave in the EU be extended from 14 to 20 weeks, six weeks of which would be taken after childbirth.

In October 2008, the European Commission proposed an update of a current EU directive, and an extension of minimum maternity leave from 14 to 18 weeks, six of which would have to be taken after childbirth.

The maternity leave rules also apply to domestic workers and the self-employed.

Employees on maternity leave should be paid their full salary, which must be 100 per cent of their last monthly salary or their average monthly salary, the committee said.

In its draft law, the European Commission recommended the principle of full payment, but did not propose making full payment mandatory but simply said it should not be below the rate of sick-leave payments.

A report adopted by the committee said that EU member states must give fathers the right to fully paid paternity leave of at least two weeks within the period of maternity leave. So far, there is no legislation at EU level on paternity leave.

Member states that had not introduced fully paid paternity leave to be taken by fathers on a compulsory basis "are strongly encouraged to do so," the committee said.

Legislation on maternity and paternity leave should also apply to parents who adopt a child of less than 12 months old, MEPs said.

Furthermore, fully paid additional maternity leave should be granted in specific situations such as premature childbirth, children with disabilities, mothers with disabilities, teenage mothers, multiple birth, and births occurring within 18 months of previous births.

The committee adopted amendments to ban the dismissal of pregnant workers from the beginning of a pregnancy to at least six months following the end of the maternity leave. Dismissal during that period must be formally justified in writing.

MEPs also argue that, after maternity leave, women must be entitled to return to their jobs or to "equivalent posts", meaning a position with the same pay, professional category and duties as before.

The committee said that employees must not be obliged to perform night work or work overtime during the 10 weeks prior to childbirth, during the remainder of the pregnancy in case of health problem of the mother or the unborn child and during the entire period of breastfeeding.

Workers wanting to be exempted from night work must inform their employer and submit a medical certificate, the committee said.