Press Release: European Commission aims to significantly reduce the gender pay gap

The European Commission plans to use a series of measures aimed at significantly reducing the pay gap between men and women over the next five years. The average gender pay gap in the EU currently stands at 18%. To lower this rate, the Commission plans to raise awareness among employers, encourage initiatives to promote gender equality and support the development of tools to measure the gender pay gap. On the other hand, new legal measures are not excluded. The Commission intends to consult the European social partners and analyse the impact of a number of options: strengthening sanctions, providing pay transparency and regular reporting on the pay gap. A Eurobarometer survey released on 5 March 2010 shows that more than 80% of Europeans support urgent action to address the gap.

European Commission: Memo: MEMO/10/65:Tackling the gender pay gap – Frequently Asked Questions http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/10/65&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en

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