It calls on Member States to ensure that when their pension is calculated, women are not punished for gaps in their employment history arising from parental or childcare leave.

Legislative proposals[27] have been adopted in order on the one hand to reinforce the right of female workers to maternity leave[28] and, on the other, to ensure equal treatment for self-employed workers and assisting spouses.[29] The Commission has noted the progress made by the Member States in improving the availability of childcare facilities (for 90% of children between the age of three and school age and for 33% of children aged under three).[30] It noted in its report that only a minority of Member States has achieved this obje ...[+++]ctive.[31] Measures for developing childcare structures have been recommended, and have been included in the cohesion policy in particular.

This includes access to quality, affordable childcare services, an equal division of childcare and domestic responsibilities, encouraging fathers to take parental leave and the possibility of flexible working arrangements both for men and women.

2. Points out that reconciliation of work, family life, and privacy is invariably considered in relation to women (as for instance in the cases of childcare leave and allowances); calls, therefore, for fathers likewise to be made a target group for family policy;

Four areas are worth highlighting in this context: 1) lifelong learning collective agreements in Belgium, Finland, Germany (metalworking industry in Baden-Württemberg), Italy and Portugal; 2) equal opportunities aiming at reducing gender pay inequalities (Belgium, Finland, Netherlands and Ireland), at combating race discrimination (France, Denmark and Ireland), at increasing employment of disabled persons (Belgium Italy and Ireland) and at preventing age discrimination (Denmark and Austria); 3) health and safety at work collective agreements on the prevention and treatment of stress (Belgium) on well-being and psychological work environment (Denmark) and against the excessive workload (the Netherlands); 4) flexibility and work-life balan ...[+++]ce collective agreements on parental leave (Sweden), on family leave and family-linked working time patterns (Belgium, Greece, Italy, and the Netherlands), on sabbaticals (Finland), on childcare arrangements (Greece, Ireland and the Netherlands), on flexitime and teleworking (Italy, Austria, and Denmark) and on temporary agency workers (Italy and Germany).

* Sweden - plans to introduce a ceiling on childcare fees and providing childcare for parents on parental leave with younger siblings.