Since June 8, 2026, Germany has been formally violating EU law. The deadline for transposing the EU Pay Transparency Directive into national law passed without a single article being adopted. Only three member states – Slovakia, Italy, and Lithuania – met the deadline. Austria also failed, but Germany’s delay has drawn particularly sharp criticism due to the persistent gender pay gap.
The gender pay gap in Germany stands at 15.6 percent – the highest among major EU economies. The directive was adopted back in 2023, but the legislative process in Berlin has stalled amid coalition disputes. Family Minister Lisa Paus (Greens), responsible for the dossier, insists on a “low-bureaucracy” implementation. Her ministry currently plans to complete the process by early 2027.
This timeline has sparked outrage among unions and opposition parties. IG Metall called the delay a “political failure.” The SPD accuses Paus of outright obstruction. The CDU’s worker wing is pushing to exempt existing collective agreements – a step intended to reduce the burden on companies. Under the current timeline of the Family Ministry, reporting obligations and extended information rights would not take effect until June 2028 at the earliest.
Source: www.ad-hoc-news.de
