The development of parental leave and other forms of leave has been driven by many stakeholders and interested parties: mothers, fathers and children, employers, trade unions and civic society organizations. Minimum standards for leave policy in EU are determined by a supra-national body: through Council Directive 92/85/EEC of October 1992 and Council Directive 96/34/EC of 3 June 1996. Recent political agendas as well as labour market policies highlight parental leave relating it directly with three other main policy issues: reconciliation of work and family life, gender equity policies and fertility policies. Most countries report significant recent changes or future changes either waiting implementation or under active discussion. In nearly all cases the direction of change is towards increasing the scope of leave entitlements. Another common and even more recent theme is father's rights, the increasing attention being paid to fathers in leave policies, especially the introduction of measures to increase take-up. Nevertheless there is a great national variation in the conditions for leave in terms of eligibility criteria, payment, and length of leave. There is a diverse and increasingly complex policy packages. Also to be considered are the relations between leave policy and social inequality. Therefore the building of a formal network of experts on leave policies and research will allow not only to a better knowledge and understanding of the differences in national institutional arrangements of parental leave but it will also allow an approach to the practice of leave policy: how do leave policies, with their varying conditions and contexts, actually work.