Pay transparency: Which EU countries are ready for the new rules?
Millions of Europeans still apply for jobs without knowing how much they pay. New EU rules aimed at boosting salary transparency and tackling the gender pay gap were due to take effect by 7 June, but most member states are set to miss the deadline.
How do you know whether you're being paid fairly? Across much of Europe, workers still have limited information about what jobs pay and how their salaries compare with others doing similar work.
The EU's Pay Transparency Directive aims to change that by requiring employers to become more transparent about salaries and helping to strengthen the principle of equal pay for equal work.
The directive is intended to help reduce the EU's gender pay gap, which stands at 11%, meaning women's gross hourly earnings are, on average, 11% lower than men's, according to Eurostat.
For many women, failing to implement the directive could have a direct impact on their income each year.
The European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) estimates that failing to implement pay transparency would cost women at least €4.8 billion a year in the EU, potentially rising to €7.2bn — equivalent to between €465 and €700 per woman annually.
EU countries must implement the rules by 7 June 2026, but most are set to miss the deadline after a three-year implementation period.
So, which EU countries have implemented the Pay Transparency Directive? What is the latest situation for those lagging behind? And across Europe, which countries have the highest rates of salary transparency in job postings?
Six EU countries have taken no action yet
According to international law firm Addleshaw Goddard's implementation tracker, as of May 2026, six out of 27 EU countries have yet to take any action toward implementing the directive. They are Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Luxembourg and Portugal.
In September 2025, this figure stood at 10 countries.
While Sweden published a proposal, the government suspended it indefinitely in March 2026, citing the directive's heavy administrative burden on employers.
Germany is expected to update its legislation in 2026. In Czechia, Finland, Greece, Slovenia and Spain, draft legislation is expected.
Ten countries have published legislation drafts
Ten EU countries have published legislation drafts, though they are at different stages of the process. They are Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, France, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands and Romania.
Three countries — Belgium, Malta and Poland — have partially implemented the directive.
In Slovakia, Parliament approved the Equal Pay Act on 15 April 2026, which will enter into force on 7 June 2026.
Real uncertainty in France
"In France, it is very likely that the 7 June deadline will not be met. That creates real uncertainty, and even once the law is passed, key elements will still need to be defined by separate implementing decrees, with no clear timeline,” Jérémie Paubel, Employment Partner in France at Addleshaw Goddard, told Euronews Business.
He pointed out that anticipation is decisive - companies should already take steps such as mapping their job categories, auditing their pay systems and structures and identifying any existing gaps, but most importantly, closely monitoring the legislative process.
What will happen in Germany?
“Missed implementation deadlines do not create a neat legal pause. They create an interim period in which companies may not yet have clear domestic rules, but courts, employees and works councils are already looking at the direction set by the Directive,” Marijke Van der Most, Employment Partner in Germany at Addleshaw Goddard, told Euronews Business.
She emphasised that the difficult point for employers is not simply that the German law is late. It is that they may have to make pay decisions, respond to employee questions and prepare for litigation in a period where the future standard is visible but the domestic rulebook is not yet complete.
Salary transparency in job postings
According to global hiring platform Indeed, salary transparency in job postings has been steadily increasing across many European countries.
As of March 2026, the UK had the highest rate at 56%, though this was 65% in May 2025.
The Netherlands (48%) and France (43%) exceed 40%. Ireland (39%) and Italy (36%) are close behind, with Italy improving significantly from 23% in May 2025.
However, Spain and Germany rank at the lower end, with salary information included in just 17% and 12% of job postings, respectively.
Indeed data also shows that most EU countries are set to miss the pay transparency deadline. Data from Indeed Hiring Lab outlines the real consequences for workers and economies, including the persistence of the gender pay gap.
Workers are applying blind
Indeed underlines that the delays leave the majority of European workers still applying for jobs without knowing what they pay.
"Pay is the single most important factor in why people look for a new job. Yet, across Europe, it is what most job postings leave out. Workers are applying blind – and our research found the consequences of this are deeper and more varied than we thought," Lisa Feist, EU Labour Market Economist at Indeed Hiring Lab, said.
"Despite these negative implications, there is an opportunity for employers who choose to be transparent. Those who act now can strengthen trust with candidates, improve application quality, and future-proof their hiring strategies.”
