The EU Commission plans to take a legislative initiative that aims to tackle gender pay gap, by introducing binding pay transparency measures.

A new directive should:

• reflect the outcome of the Commission’s evaluation on the relevant provisions of Directive 2006/54/EC on the implementation of the principle of equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation
• introduce compulsory measures in line with the Commission Recommendation 2014/124/EU on strengthening the principle of equal pay between men and women through transparency
• complement other EU Commission initiatives such as Work-Life Balance Directive 2019/1158, and the proposed Directive on improving gender balance on company boards (COM/2012/0614 final)

Major problems the initiative aims to tackle:

• the asymmetry of information between employees and employers about pay
• the lack of information on the wage structure
• the lack of understanding of some existing legal concepts (the concepts of "pay", "same work" and “work of equal value”)
• the lack of gender neutrality in job classification and evaluation systems

Major objectives of the initiative:

• strengthening access to information on pay levels
• improving understanding of the above-mentioned legal concepts
• enhancing enforcement mechanisms in the EU legal provisions

Main compulsory measures foreseeable:

• staff rights to information
• pay reporting and/or
• pay auditing

The Commission will organise further targeted consultations with social partners and Member States, and a public consultation.