(BRUSSELS) - The European Commission will on Friday unveil plans to extend minimum maternity leave in Europe from 14 to 18 weeks, a move which would force several EU nations to offer more support to new mothers.

In seeking to boost the rights of working mums and mums-to-be, EU Social Affairs Commissioner Vladimir Spidla hopes to find "a better balance between professional, private and family life."

The 27 EU nation states, generally ill-disposed to harmonising their diverse social rules, are yet to approve the plan which will require their unanimous support -- plus a green light in the European Parliament -- to come into force.

Less than a year ahead of EU elections, the commission has redoubled its proposals in the social sphere, keen to show it is close to the needs of its "citizens".

"It is only now that European Commission chief Jose Manuel Barroso is showing a social conscience and it's almost too late," bemoaned British socialist member of the European Parliament (MEP) Stephen Hughes.

However he added that the move was "a minimum step in the right direction" which would not involve enormous costs.

A 1992 EU law provides for a minimum 14 weeks of maternity leave throughout Europe, two weeks of which are compulsory before or after the birth.

Other texts stipulate that a woman must be able to come back to an equivalent job when she returns to work.

A draft of the new rules specifies that women should be given at least 18 consecutive weeks maternity leave, six of which must be taken after the birth, with the rest available either before or later on.

This corresponds to recommendations of the International Labour Organisation, adopted in 2000, to allow women coming back to ask for more flexible working hours.

Under the proposals, the 27 EU member states will be free to offer longer maternity leave.

The time off should be paid leave, but member states can fix a ceiling to the payouts which must not be lower than normal sickness pay.

Currently the length of maternity leave, and how it is paid, varies widely from country to country in the EU.

Germany offers the 14-week minimum, while women in France, the Netherlands and Spain are entitled to 16 weeks.

Among the most generous EU states in this regard are Britain and Ireland (26 weeks), Slovakia (28 weeks) and Bulgaria, which gives its new mothers the opportunity to take 45 weeks off.

However not all countries offer fully paid maternity leave for the total available period.

Sweden allows a pre-natal leave of eight weeks and, under a very flexible system which can be transferred to the baby's father, total leave of over a year.

The amendment law also seeks to extend measures to avoid employers' getting rid of women who have a baby.

If a woman is dismissed within six months of returning from maternity leave she would be entitled to ask for the reasons in writing.

Text and Picture Copyright 2008 AFP. All other Copyright 2008 EUbusiness Ltd. All rights reserved. This material is intended solely for personal use. Any other reproduction, publication or redistribution of this material without the written agreement of the copyright owner is strictly forbidden and any breach of copyright will be considered actionable.