INTERNAL COMMISSION DIRECTIVE

signed
Horst Reichenbach

Annex

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES
__________

HEADS OF ADMINISTRATION

Luxembourg, 17 June 2004

CONCLUSION 235/04

Special part-time arrangements for breast-feeding

An official who returns from maternity leave and wishes to breastfeed her baby may apply to the relevant appointing authority⁽²⁾ to be dispensed from work for two hours per day to do so.

Permission may be granted until the end of the sixth month following the birth on presentation of a medical certificate confirming breastfeeding.

Following that period, permission will exceptionally be granted if the official provides a medical certificate that breastfeeding is necessary for medical reasons in the specific case of the baby. Permission may not be granted after the twelfth month following the birth.

Details of the permission, which should result in time being taken around lunchtime, will be determined by agreement between the official and the relevant authority⁽³⁾.

This conclusion shall also apply to other servants of the EC.

It shall come into force on 1 July 2004 and replaces conclusion No 217/99 adopted at the 223rd meeting on 14 October 1999.
 

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Footnotes

⁽¹⁾ Published in Administrative Notices No 1087/1088 of 27 October 1999.

⁽²⁾ Under tables VII of Annexes I, II and III, point 11 (award of individual special leave) of the Commission decision of 28 April 2004 on the exercise of the powers devolved by the Staff Regulation to the appointing authority and by the Conditions of Employment of Other Servants to the authority authorised to conclude contracts of employment, C (2004)1606, published in Administrative Notices No 31-2004 of 5 May 2004, the appointing authority is the Director-General of the employing DG, who may subdelegate this power. Please consult your Directorate-General.

⁽³⁾ In the Commission, the official’s hierarchical superior.