44As the Court has already pointed out in relation to paragraph 9 of the general considerations of the Framework Agreement on parental leave annexed to Directive 96/34, which is drafted in similar terms to paragraph 15 of the general conditions of the revised Framework Agreement, parental leave is granted to parents to enable them to take care of their child and may be taken until the child has reached a given age up to 8 years. Maternity leave has a different purpose. It is intended to protect a woman’s biological condition and the special relationship between a woman and her child over the period which follows pregnancy and childbirth, by preventing that relationship from being disturbed by the multiple burdens which would result from the simultaneous pursuit of employment (see judgment of 14 April 2005 in Commission v Luxembourg, C‑519/03, EU:C:2005:234, paragraph 32).
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