EU action for equal pay

Equal pay for equal work

Equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between women and men is one of the European Union’s founding principles, enshrined in the Treaties since 1957. 

Article 119 of the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (TEEC) first established this principle. It was subsequently renumbered as Article 141 of the Treaty establishing the European Community (TEC) by the Amsterdam Treaty in 1997, and is now set out in Article 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). While its numbering has changed, the substance of the provision has remained essentially the same.

Article 157 TFEU requires Member States to ensure the application of the principle of equal pay for male and female workers for equal work or work of equal value.

This principle has been further developed through secondary EU legislation and the extensive case-law of the Court of Justice of the European Union. The Court has clarified key concepts such as “pay” and “work of equal value” and has provided important guidance on issues such as discrimination in job evaluation and classification systems, thereby strengthening the effective application of the principle across the Union.

In this context, Directive 2006/54/EC on equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women in matters of employment and occupation consolidates earlier EU legislation on gender equality in employment and occupation, including provisions on equal pay for the same work or work of equal value between women and men, and reflects the relevant case-law of the CJEU (see an overview of the case law related to the principle of equal pay).

The Commission monitors the correct transposition and enforcement of Directive 2006/54/EC, including its provisions on the principle of equal pay, and supports Member States in ensuring its effective implementation. Following the transposition deadline of 7 June 2026 , particular attention will be given to assessing the conformity of national legislation with the requirements set out in Directive 2023/970 on pay transparency.

Pay Transparency

The lack of pay transparency makes an effective implementation of the fundamental right to equal pay between women and men for equal work or work of equal value a major challenge in the EU. Workers are often unaware about pay discrimination while performing the same work or work of equal value to their counterparts. A lack of pay transparency does not allow for a proper assessment of the reasons for pay inequalities (see the evaluation of the relevant provisions in the Directive 2006/54/EC implementing the equal pay principle, for equal work or work of equal value published in March 2020).

In March 2014, the European Commission adopted a Recommendation on strengthening the principle of equal pay between men and women through transparency. It provides guidance to help EU countries implement the equal pay principle more effectively and focusses especially on enhancing pay transparency.

Following persistent problems with the implementation of the right to equal pay, and given that only a limited number of EU countries introduced measures in line with the 2014 Recommendation to improve transparency in pay-setting systems, the Commission proposed  a directive on pay transparency which was adopted in May 2023 and entered into force the following month. 

The Directive 2023/970 on pay transparency aims at strengthening the application of the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women through pay transparency and enforcement mechanisms. It establishes minimum requirements on pay transparency aimed at supporting the effective application of the principle of equal pay. It includes measures for workers to be aware of their right to equal pay and, where appropriate, exercise that right, while also enabling employers to assess whether their pay structures comply with the principle of equal pay and are free from discrimination. It also strengthens enforcement mechanisms and promotes greater attention to potential unjustified pay differences between women and men performing the same work or work of equal value.

Main elements of the Pay transparency directive:

• a right to information on pay prior employment, a prohibition to ask salary history and a prohibition of non-disclosure agreements on salaries;
• a right to request information on average pay levels which aims at ensuring that workers can compare themselves, at any time during the employment relationship, with co-workers of the other sex carrying out equal work or work of equal values
• pay reporting on pay gaps between female and male workers for employers with at least 100 employees;
• joint pay assessments in case of indications of pay discrimination at employer level;
• strengthened enforcement measures such as penalties including fines, full compensations including recovery of back pay and strengthened shift of the burden of proof in case of non-compliance with pay transparency obligations;
• the Directive clarifies what should be understood by the concept of ‘work of equal value’, it is aimed to improve access to justice and to strengthen enforcement mechanisms.

The Pay transparency directive is instrumental for the full realisation of the right to equal pay for the same work or work of equal value between women  and men, and the Commission remains fully committed to its proper and timely implementation.  

This commitment is anchored in the Roadmap for Women’s Rights, endorsed in its entirety by all Member States, EU institutions and stakeholders, including some social partners. It notably reflects key principle related to equal pay and economic empowerment through closing the gender pay and pension gaps and tackling the undervaluation of jobs predominantly done by women and ensuring pay transparency. 

The Directive itself was a flagship deliverable under the previous Gender Equality Strategy 2020-2025, and its effective enforcement is now part of a clear political commitment under the Gender Equality Strategy 2026–2030, adopted by the European Commission on 5 March 2026, which reaffirms the need to ensure full and timely implementation.

EU Member States must transpose the Directive into national law by 7 June 2026.

To facilitate its implementation, the Commission has held four transposition workshops with Member States to provide guidance, share best practices and support for the correct transposition of the directive. 

On 26 March 2026, the Commission together with the European Institute for Gender Equality, launched EU wide guidelines on gender-neutral job evaluation and classification tailored to different sizes of employers (see dedicated section below). 

On 24 April 2026, the Commission also organised a dedicated workshop with social partners focused on the role of social partners in implementation the principle of equal pay and on how the EU wide guidelines on gender-neutral job evaluation and classification can support employers and workers in the implementation of the directive, for instance through collective bargaining.

Dedicated CERV projects support the implementation of Article 4 on work of equal value. Eight projects (BE, CY, DE, EE, EL, FR, PT, SI), which started at the end of 2024 and the beginning of 2025, run for two years.

A broader call launched in January 2026 makes funding available also for non-government actors, such as social partners and focus on capacity building and training, focusing on capacity building for employers and trade unions to comply with the rights and obligations under the Pay transparency directive: Calls for proposals | EU Funding & Tenders Portal.

EU-wide guidelines on gender-neutral job evaluation and classification

In March 2026, the Commission and the European Institute for Gender Equality launched updated EU-wide guidelines on gender-neutral job evaluation and classification. 

These guidelines take the form of a step-by-step toolkit designed for all employers, to supports micro-organisations, small and medium-sized organisations, and large organisations alike. 

The guidelines aim to facilitate the practical application of the concept of work of equal value at employer level, by providing explanatory and learning materials online. They set out practical steps to ensure jobs are assessed using objective, gender-neutral criteria.

The guidelines further support the implementation and compliance with the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value between men and women.

You can find the Guidelines and related material on EIGE’s website following this link.

• Policy brief available here.
• Factsheet available here.
• Webinar – presentation of the toolkit
• Video tutorials for:
  • micro-organisations,
  • small and medium-sized organisations and

  • large organisations, and large organisation case study.  

     

Raising Awareness on Equal Pay

The Equal Pay Day takes place in many European countries (e.g. e.g. Austria, Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, France, the Netherlands, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden). The event aims at raising awareness on the gender pay gap. It has received a lot of media attention and triggered various national equal pay campaigns.

The EU’s Equal Pay Day in 2025 falls on 17 November. It marks the day when women symbolically stop getting paid compared to their male colleagues for the same job.

The Work-Life Balance Directive

Care responsibilities vary during the life cycle, for instance when people have children or frail elderly parents. Women and men should both have the possibility to combine private and working responsibilities in an equal way. This was at the core of the EU’s directive on work-life balance for working parents and carers adopted in April 2017.

Details on the work-life balance directive

EU rights to work-life balance

Gender Balance on Corporate Boards

The Directive for Gender Balance on Corporate Boards requires large-listed companies to attain at least 40% of the underrepresented gender in their supervisory boards of listed companies, or 33% among all directors. It also provides legal requirements safeguards for clear objective and transparent board appointment procedures, with objective assessment based on qualification and merit, irrespective of gender.

Achieving gender balance in decision-making