On 18 December 2025, the Commission issued its written response to a priority question submitted by a Member of Parliament on 29 October 2025.

The Member of Parliament submitted their question following the announcement from the Netherlands that it would be delaying the implementation of the EU Pay Transparency Directive into national law beyond the implementation deadline of 7 June 2026 (we wrote about this further here). Against this context, the Member of Parliament raised three queries:

• “What is the Commission’s view of the Netherlands’ postponement of the Pay Transparency Directive?
• Does the Commission have any current plans to revise the Pay Transparency Directive with a view to cutting red tape for Europe’s businesses and authorities?
• What is the Commission’s estimate of the transition costs to business and to the public purse, as well as of the ongoing costs in the EU, of fully implementing the directive as it currently stands?”

 In its written answer, the European Commission confirmed as follows: 

“The Commission reaffirms that the Pay Transparency Directive is instrumental for the full realisation of the right to equal pay for the same work or work of equal value between women and men and remains fully committed to its effective and timely implementation. It expects all Member States to transpose the Directive by the deadline of June 2026 […]”

In its response, the Commission details the measures taken to support national administrations and social partners in transposing the Directive, while also highlighting the preparatory work underpinning the legislation - such as the Impact Assessment and the incorporation of stakeholder input throughout its development.

Key message for employers

At first glance, it may seem routine for the European Commission to reaffirm the transposition deadline for a Directive. Yet this statement comes against a backdrop of uncertainty over national implementation. The Netherlands has already announced plans to delay implementation beyond June 2026, Denmark has omitted an implementing draft bill from its legislative agenda (see here), and progress across Member States remains slow and uneven. These developments have sparked speculation about how the EU might respond.

The Commission’s latest statement, however, leaves no room for doubt: it is holding firm on the June 2026 deadline. For employers, the message is clear - the clock is ticking, and the EU’s timetable is not shifting.

The written question and answer are available here.