THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION is referring Ireland to the EU’s Court of Justice for failing to fully comply with the process for implementing new rules about protecting work-life balance for parents and carers.

Ireland, along with Belgium and Spain, is being referring to the Court for failing to notify the Commission about national measures that would fully transpose the rights laid out in the Work-Life Balance Directive adopted in 2019.

The legislation aims to “enable working parents to better reconcile professional and private lives”.

It features minimum standards for paternity, parental and carers’ leave and the right to request flexible working arrangements with a view to helping people develop their careers and family life without having to sacrifice either.

It allows working parents and carers to take periods of leave to care for relatives who require support.

The deadline for transposing the provisions Directive into member states’ national law was 2 August 2022.

The Commission sent letters of formal notice to 19 member states in September 2022 who had not communicated with the Commission to confirm they had completed transposition of the Directive, including Ireland.

Further communication was sent to 11 member states in April 2023 and were given two months to take action.

Ireland, Belgium and Spain have still not communicated their transposition measures, according to the EU Commission.

“Since the cases concern the failure to communicate transposition measures of a legislative directive, the Commission will ask the Court of Justice of the European Union to impose financial sanctions on those member states,” the Commission has announced today.

Additionally, Ireland was also today given a warning alongside 11 other member states about failing to comply with EU law on air pollution and reducing emissions of several pollutants.

Ireland is failing to meet its commitments to reduce certain air pollutants under the ‘NEC Directive’ which covers nitrogen oxides, non-methane volatile organic compounds, sulphur dioxide, ammonia and fine particulate matter.