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European Union

126/2025 : 18 September 2025 - Opinions of the Advocate General in joined cases C-188/24, C-190/24

European Court of Justice (News) - il y a 10 heures 47 min
WebGroup Czech Republic and NKL Associates
Advocate General Szpunar: a measure constituting a corollary of the provisions of criminal law or necessary in order to ensure the effectiveness of roadside checks comes under the country of origin principle, as provided for in the Directive on electronic commerce

Catégories: European Union

THE HACK: EuroHPC + tech sovereignty

Euractiv.com - il y a 10 heures 50 min
In today's edition: Rollback on telecom overhaul, and Google's next step
Catégories: European Union

International Equal Pay Day

Written by Marie Lecerf.

A persisting gender pay gap

The ‘gender pay gap’ is a measurable indicator of inequality between women and men. It generally refers to the average difference between the remuneration of employed female and male workers.

Although the gender pay gap is measured by different methods and indicators, data clearly show that women around the world still earn less than men. Across OECD countries, on average, the unadjusted gender pay gap stands at 11.9 % – meaning that the median full-time working woman earns about 88 cents to every dollar or euro earned by the median full-time working man. This rate has barely moved in recent decades. Despite the increase in women’s educational attainment and participation in the labour market over the years, the gender pay gap remains a persistent and multi-dimensional issue in all countries and across all economic sectors. For women with children, women of colour, migrant women, and women with disabilities, the discrepancy is even larger. In 2023, women’s gross hourly earnings were, on average, 12.0 % below those of men in the European Union (Eurostat, EU-27). Across Member States, the gender pay gap varied widely, ranging from -0.7 % in Luxembourg to 19.0 % in Latvia.

International Equal Pay Day The United Nations’ commitment

Mainstreaming the gender perspective is key to the implementation of the United Nations (UN) 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Since 2015, the ‘equal pay for work of equal value’ principle has been recognised as one of the priority areas of the United Nations sustainable development goals (UNSDGs), as mentioned in target 8.5: ‘By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value’. In 2017, under the leadership of the International Labour Organization (ILO), the UN entity for gender equality and the empowerment of women (UN Women) and the Gender Initiative of the OECD, and together with governments, labour organisations (e.g. ITUC), employers’ organisations (e.g. IOE) and other dedicated agencies, the Equal Pay International Coalition (EPIC) was launched for the effective and swift achievement of the principle. On 15 November 2019, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution proclaiming 18 September as International Equal Pay Day. The resolution was introduced by the Equal Pay International Coalition with the support of Australia, Canada, Germany, New Zealand, Panama, South Africa and Switzerland. The day is intended to promote further action towards the achievement of equal pay for work of equal value.

The first International Equal Pay Day – 18 September 2020

On 18 September 2020, the first International Equal Pay Day, international leaders committed to taking affirmative action to narrow the gender pay gap. EPIC called on participants to put pay equity  at the heart of  COVID-19 recovery efforts by introducing integrated policy responses aimed at mitigating job and income losses resulting from the pandemic and ensuring that women do not end up disproportionately shouldering these job losses and reductions in incomes.

The 2025 Equal Pay Day

For EPIC, the focus this year will be (1) ‘Achieving Equal Pay for Work of Equal Value in the Beijing+30 Era’ for the members-only annual Technical Meeting and (2) an Equal Pay Day event featuring a friendly debate between senior representatives of workers’ and employers’ organisations, underscoring the complementarity of a multi-stakeholder approach and measures being taken.

European Union initiatives

Equal pay for equal work is one of the EU’s founding principles, enshrined in Article 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union. Since then, there have been initiatives to address the gender pay gap at both EU and Member State levels. While some progress has been achieved, the gender pay gap remains a persistent feature of European labour markets. In response, as embedded in the EU gender equality strategy 2020-2025, the EU has complemented its soft measures by introducing binding legislation.

The Pay Transparency Directive (Directive (EU) 2023/970), adopted in May 2023 and in force since 6 June 2023, marks a recent step in the EU’s efforts to address pay transparency. It mandates salary transparency in job postings, bans the use of pay history, and grants employees the right to access information on pay levels by gender. Employers with at least 150 employees are required to report regularly on pay gaps. Where unexplained gaps of 5 % or more are identified, joint pay assessments must be conducted in cooperation with workers’ representatives. The directive also strengthens enforcement through a shift in the burden of proof, the right to compensation for victims of pay discrimination, and financial penalties for non-compliance. Member States must transpose the directive by 7 June 2026.

Other relevant legislation includes the Women on Boards Directive (2022), which requires listed companies to meet gender balance targets on corporate boards by mid‑2026, and the Work-Life Balance Directive (in force since 2022), which promotes equal sharing of care responsibilities by introducing new rights to paternity leave, parental leave, and flexible working.

In March 2025, the European Commission unveiled the roadmap for women’s rights to advance gender equality across all sectors of society, including a renewed push to reduce the gender pay gap.

European Parliament position

The European Parliament has long called for binding legislation to advance pay equity. In a series of resolutions since 2015, Parliament has urged the Commission to address persistent gender-based inequalities through stronger enforcement and transparency tools.

Parliament’s resolution of 30 January 2020 on the Gender pay gap urged the Commission to ensure that the forthcoming pay transparency legislation applies to both the public and private sectors, promotes the role of the social partners and collective bargaining, and includes strong enforcement policies for those failing to comply. Parliament’s resolution of 21 January 2021 on the new EU gender equality strategy stressed that binding measures are necessary to close the gender pay gap. In its 15 December 2021 resolution on Equality between women and men, Parliament called on Member States to develop an action plan with clear objectives to tackle the gender pay and pension gaps.

Members’ efforts have been key to shaping the final content of the Pay Transparency Directive and ensuring a strong implementation framework across the Union.

Read the complete briefing on ‘International Equal Pay Day‘ in the Think Tank pages of the European Parliament.

Farage casts shadow over UK-EU ties

Euractiv.com - il y a 12 heures 45 min
In today’s edition: French authorities brace for nationwide protests with 800,000 expected on the streets, two Italian lawmakers tied to Qatargate rejoin the S&D after suspension, and environment ministers meet on the 2035 climate target as Denmark pushes a UN workaround
Catégories: European Union

Slovak officials fuming at Czech minister for attending Bratislava protest

Euractiv.com - il y a 14 heures 28 min
A Czech minister’s appearance at an anti-government protest in Bratislava has sparked fury in Slovakia, deepening a diplomatic rift between the once closely aligned neighbours
Catégories: European Union

Czechia ends visa-free entry for Georgian diplomats

Euractiv.com - il y a 14 heures 33 min
Citing democratic backsliding and repression, Czechia will revoke visa-free entry for Georgian officials, joining a growing list of EU states imposing restrictions
Catégories: European Union

Czech election campaign ignited by EU climate levy on motor, heating fuel

Euractiv.com - il y a 14 heures 34 min
Ironically, the core political deal creating ETS2 was sealed while Prague held the rotating Council presidency
Catégories: European Union

Over 800,000 expected to join French protests against budget cuts

Euractiv.com - il y a 14 heures 38 min
Unions launch a nationwide general strike to protest sweeping budget cuts, testing the new French prime minister’s resolve amid warnings of unrest and mass disruption
Catégories: European Union

Danes step up fight against EU red tape

Euractiv.com - il y a 14 heures 39 min
An official paper warns of "excessive costs" on governments and businesses
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The reparation loan is a test of European resolve

Euractiv.com - il y a 14 heures 39 min
Moscow has long assumed that it can not only win a war of attrition on the battlefield but that it can wear down western unity. A reparation loan would challenge both assumptions
Catégories: European Union

Brussels hands Google an antitrust ticking time bomb

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The US AdTech giant has under two months to halt illegal self-preferencing after a €2.95 billion EU fine
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Brenner tunnel breakthrough shows how Europe is preparing for future crises – and wars

Euractiv.com - il y a 14 heures 39 min
EU transport chief says tunnel will speed up civilian and military transport across Europe
Catégories: European Union

Press release - President Metsola in Kyiv reaffirms European Parliament’s continued support to Ukraine

European Parliament (News) - mer, 17/09/2025 - 19:53
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola met in Kyiv on 17 September President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk, and addressed the Verkhovna Rada.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP
Catégories: European Union

Press release - President Metsola in Kyiv reaffirms European Parliament’s continued support to Ukraine

European Parliament - mer, 17/09/2025 - 19:53
European Parliament President Roberta Metsola met in Kyiv on 17 September President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Rada Chairman Ruslan Stefanchuk, and addressed the Verkhovna Rada.

Source : © European Union, 2025 - EP
Catégories: European Union

Electricity firms rattled by Draghi call for market reform

Euractiv.com - mer, 17/09/2025 - 18:58
Draghi ideas "would be detrimental for investors’ certainty and would immediately bring a stop to much-needed investments in the system,” Europe's top power lobbyist said
Catégories: European Union

The Brief – Drawing the moral line

Euractiv.com - mer, 17/09/2025 - 18:27
The proposed sanctions are an effort to set the moral frame within which the bloc wishes to be viewed by its own citizens; but it's unlikely to sway public sentiment
Catégories: European Union

Qatargate: Suspended socialist MEPs rejoin group before immunity decision

Euractiv.com - mer, 17/09/2025 - 18:19
Elisabetta Gualmini and Alessandra Moretti were suspended in March after Belgian prosecutors asked Parliament to lift their immunity
Catégories: European Union

Russia ties complicate EU-India defence cooperation

Euractiv.com - mer, 17/09/2025 - 17:40
Kallas said there is “currently no mutual understanding” between the EU and India on Russia
Catégories: European Union

EU auditors warn bloc still unprepared for drug shortages

Euractiv.com - mer, 17/09/2025 - 17:19
Court of Auditors finds EU lacks effective systems to manage critical medicine shortages, with the EMA constrained by weak powers and opaque industry reporting
Catégories: European Union

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