From the point of view of the AK, a timely expansion of maternity leave before and after childbirth might be welcomed on principal; there was, however, no urgent need. The AK regards the plans of the draft Directive on more flexible maternity-related leave with scepticism, as the proposed formulations do not provide any protection against possible pressure situations, where for example pregnant women are pressurized into increasing their presence at the workplace. As maternity protec-tion also serves to protect the health of pregnant women and nursing mothers, it is essential to standardize obligatory parts of the protection period in the draft Directive before <em>and</em> after childbirth.