| Series Title | European Voice |
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| Series Details | 17/10/96, Volume 2, Number 38 |
| Publication Date | 17/10/1996 |
| Content Type | News |
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Date: 17/10/1996 Living in what used to be rather quaintly called 'sin' has finally received the European Commission stamp of acceptability. Unable to resist the tide of social change any longer, officials have decided to acknowledge officially that not everyone sharing a home with another person is necessarily married. The rules on familial rights have been changed to embrace the state of living together, which the French manage to make sound much more daring and shocking by calling it concubinage. The practical effects of the move are that a Commission official's informal other half, of the same or opposite sex, can now use Commission restaurants or join Commission language courses. Staff in this category will also be entitled to compassionate leave in the case of family illness or death. The yardstick for qualification is that the couple must be able to prove they have been living together under the same roof for at least six months. |
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| Subject Categories | Employment and Social Affairs, Geography |
