The EU wants Europe's biggest economy to avoid looming¹ labour shortages in future by dismantling² barriers to women entering the workforce³.

为避免在不久的未来出现劳动力短缺，欧盟希望欧洲经济大国排除女性就业障碍，让女性加入劳动大军。

'Germany must better integrate（使完整） women into the labour market," said the EU Commission, in a report on the German economy.

'Germany, but also Austria and the Netherlands, should look at the example of the northern countries,” said President José Manuel Barroso, in a reference to Scandinavia.

'That means removing obstacles for women, older workers, foreigners and low-skilled job-seekers to get into the workforce. Excessive early retirement⁴ regulations need to be abolished.'

The Commission recommends that Germany take steps such as creating more child care places and reducing income tax for dual⁵ earners.

Taxing couples separately instead of as a pair could encourage more part-time, second-income earners to take up full-time⁶ work.

Just 2.2 percent of leadership positions at Germany's top 100 companies are held by women, according to a survey by the German Institute for Economic Research. But the conservative led coalition⁷ government of Chancellor⁸ Angela Merkel baulked earlier this year at legislation to even things up.

The EU's concerns about Germany come even though the country has embarked⁹ on a back-to-works scheme for women that the media has dubbed¹⁰ 'Operation Mama.'

To sustain both the economy and Germany's lavish¹¹（浪费的，丰富的） welfare state, an action plan to call in mothers who have not worked before is on the table - along with plans to subsidise IVF treatment for childless couples.

Engineering, nursing, IT specialists, care-workers and semi-skilled workers are among those most needed according to a white paper prepared for Chancellor Merkel by eight ministries¹² last month.

By turning inwards for help from its own population, Germany is effectively sending a signal to workers from eastern EU countries - allowed to work in Germany since 1 May this year after a German restrictions¹³ were lifted - that it would rather give jobs to Germans.

'Operation Mama,' as it has become known, is aimed first at close to 500,000 mothers with children aged¹⁴ between six and 16. Studies show they are eager to become workers if some practical child-care programme were in place.