Closing the European gender pay gap

Equality body solutions

3 More, London 3 - 4 March 2011

Equal pay is a key priority area of work across the EU and many Member States. The EU Gender Strategy, the European Council Conclusions and the headline targets in the Europe 2020 strategy all recognise closing the pay gap as a policy priority across Member States. In December 2010 the EPSCO Council adopted the EC Conclusions on proposals to reduce the gender pay gap and the European Commission will consult national equality bodies in 2012 on a cost benefit analysis of policy measures that has been commissioned to UK based consultants.

The combined drive to close the gender pay gap both at European level and domestically gives national equality bodies across Europe the opportunity to influence the implementation of the Council’s recommendations. The Commission hosted an equal pay event in our London offices on 3rd- 4th March 2011. We invited key equal pay experts from Member States to come and share equal pay best practice and discuss how we could work together to increase our influence.

Equinet co-sponsored the seminar and you can find out more about their contributions to equality policy across Europe by visiting their website.

The seminar aimed to facilitate an exchange of best practices and perspectives on equal pay which would allow for:

  • Better understanding of the causes of the gender pay gap across Europe and exchange of expertise/knowledge among Equality Body staff.
  • Exploration of context specific solutions to the pay gap and development of a Europe wide equality body evidence base on equal pay.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission have produced a report from the seminar which outlines the:

  • Equal pay initiatives across EU member states
  • National equality body responses to the current EC proposals to closing the gender pay gap and;
  • The feasibility of collaborative future working for NEBs at European level.

We are in the process of drawing up an action plan with other national equality bodies. Once this is completed it will be published on our website. For more information about the next steps of our cooperation contact [email protected]

Last Updated: 15 Sep 2011