What is the EU doing?

EU Treaty and legislation

The European Union has been taking action for more than 50 years to defend the principle of equal pay for equal work or work of equal value. Article 141 of the Treaty has provided a basis for the adoption of several important pieces of important European legislation on equal pay:

• The 1975 Equal Pay Directive bans discrimination on grounds of sex with regard to all aspects and conditions of pay. In particular, where a job classification system is used for determining pay, it must be based on the same criteria for both men and women and so drawn up as to exclude any discrimination on grounds of sex.
  
  Full text: Council Directive 75/117/EEC
  
  
• The 2002 Directive on equal treatment for men and women as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions. The Directive introduces definitions of direct and indirect discrimination and requires EU countries to set up Equality Bodies to promote and support equal treatment between women and men.
  
  Full text: Directive 2002/73/EC
  
  
• Seven Directives concerning equal treatment between women and men (including the 1975 and 2002 Directives) were incorporated in a single Directive adopted in 2006. It brings more clarity to Community law on this field.
  
  Full text: Directive 2006/54/EC

These instruments mean that it is illegal to discriminate against women in the labour market and pay women lower wages than men when doing the same work or work that is of an equal value.

The European Commission ensures that EU legislation is transposed (incorporated into national law of EU countries) and applied correctly, with the support of the national bodies responsible for equality between women and men.

The European Commission is analysing the effectiveness of Community law on equal pay. Depending on the result of the analysis the European Commission may present new legislative proposals on this issue.

The Strategy for equality between women and men 2010-2015

The Strategy for equality between women and men represents the European Commission's work programme on gender equality for the period 2010-2015.

It follows the dual approach of specific initiatives and the integration of equality between women and men into all EU policies and activities ("gender mainstreaming").

'Tackling the pay gap between women and men'

A Communication adopted by the European Commission in 2007 examines the causes of the gender pay gap and puts forward a series of actions to tackle the problem:

• Ensuring better application of existing legislation.
• Fighting the pay gap as an integral part of EU countries' employment policies.
• Promoting equal pay among employers, especially through social responsibility.
• Supporting exchange of good practices across the European Union and involving the social partners.

Joint action

The European Commission is working with the EU countries, the European Parliament and the European social partners to tackle the gender pay gap.

The European Pact for Gender Equality adopted by EU leaders in 2001 made fighting the gender pay gap a priority by encouraging action at Member State and Union level in equal pay for equal work.

In December 2010, the Council of EU employment and social policy ministers adopted conclusions concerning the fight against salary inequalities between women and men which emphasise the need for EU countries to adopt or pursue measures to tackle the full range of causes of the gender pay gap and coordinate the actions of all relevant key actors, particularly the social partners.

The conclusions are accompanied by a report prepared by the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU which analyses the current status of the gender pay gap and proposes a revision of the indicators developed during its previous presidency in 2001.

The European Parliament considers the fight against the gender pay gap a political priority. In November 2008, it approved a resolution with requests and recommendations to the EC on the application of the principle of equal pay for men and women.

One of the priorities of the ' framework of actions on gender equality' which was adopted in March 2005 by the European social partners is the reduction of the pay gap.

According to the 2009 final evaluation report on its implementation, the social partners have been active at national level in promoting equal pay through a wide variety of tools and means, such as:

• awareness-raising activities (for example, equal pay days) and training measures;
• production of studies;
• statistics and wage-comparison tools;
• development of toolkits aimed at tackling the gender pay gap in negotiations and collective bargaining;
• involvement in consultative national commissions dealing with equal pay.

Links

• First European Equal Pay Day highlights EU earnings gap
• Belgian Presidency of the Council of the EU - Conclusions
• European Commission aims to significantly reduce the gender pay gap
• Com 2007 424 - Tackling the pay gap between women and men
• Strategy for equality between men and women 2010-2015
• Directive 2006/54 of the European Parliament and of the Council
• European Parliament resolution on the pay gap
• Framework of actions on gender equality

Documents

• Report on equality between women and men 2010
• Study on non-legislative initiatives for companies to promote gender equality at the workplace
• Opinion on flexible and part-time working arrangements and the gender dimension of the labour market
• Opinion on equal pay for equal work or work of equal value in tackling the gender pay gap
• European Pact for Gender Equality 2006

Please find here all the documents related to the gender pay gap.