Two days before the transposition deadline for the Pay Transparency Directive, only three Member States appear to be on track to meet Sunday's deadline, and the majority have yet to pass the necessary national legislation. As a result, millions of companies across Europe will be in legal limbo from 8 June 2026 onwards.
BusinessEurope Director General Markus J. Beyrer said:
“BusinessEurope and its members are fully committed to complying with the principle of equal pay. However, the excessive complexity of the Pay Transparency Directive creates unnecessary burdens for companies and will undermine its effective implementation.
Collective agreements already play a central role in ensuring gender-neutral job classification and pay structures. This should be recognised through a presumption of compliance for employers covered by such agreements.
Given the delays in transposition across Member States and to allow sufficient time for necessary adjustments to the EU text, a temporary ‘stop-the-clock’ mechanism is urgently needed.”
Read the joint statement of BusinessEurope and several other European business organisations here.
