Belgium requests extension for European wage transparency directive

Belgium has requested a six-month extension in transposing the European directive on pay transparency, Het Laatste Nieuws reports, citing a letter rom the government to the European Commission that was sent last week. The directive was due to be transposed into Belgian law on Sunday.

The European Parliament gave the green light to the new rules in 2023 in an attempt to close the gender pay gap. EU member states were given until 7 June to transpose the directive into national law, which is proving difficult in practice. The majority of member states will not meet the deadline.

Social partners in Belgium have not yet reached an agreement, says minister for Employment David Clarinval of francophone liberal party MR, who sent the letter with minister for Equal Opportunities Rob Beenders, of Flemish socialists Vooruit.

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Over the past few months, the National Labour Council has been negotiating new collective agreements with employers and trade unions, but talks stalled in April. Employers say there are too many unanswered questions to allow negotiations to continue.

The government hopes the letter will help it avoid potential fines, as countries that fail to transpose directives on time can be penalised.

"The EU Pay Transparency Directive constitutes an excessive administrative burden"

The Federation of Enterprises in Belgium (FEB) welcomes the request. “We are pleased that businesses’ concerns are being heard,” CEO Pieter Timmermans said.

“The FEB fully supports the objective of equal pay for equal work, but it has always emphasised that the EU Pay Transparency Directive constitutes an excessive administrative burden: not only is it disproportionate for businesses, but it will not even be effective.”

The organisation remains “convinced that it is preferable to review the directive at source in order to make it both proportionate and effective”.

A report by the European Institute for Gender Equality last year showed that women in the EU have to work an average of 15 months and 18 days to earn as much as men earn in a year.

^{The ZIJkant women's rights group campaign on Equal Pay Day in Brussels, dressing up in suits to address the wage gap, March 2025 © BELGA PHOTO TIMON RAMBOER}

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