Brussels, 29 June 2026
The chairs and rapporteurs of the Legal Affairs and the Gender Equality and Women’s Rights Committees have made the following statements marking the compliance deadline of the gender balance on boards directive.
Chair of the Committee on Legal Affairs, Ilhan Kyuchyuk (Renew, BG) said: “14 years after the first proposal, we pass a milestone in the advancement of gender equality in corporate leadership. Large listed companies are as of today expected to meet the targets: either 40% representation of the underrepresented sex among non-executive directors or 33% among all directors. Balanced representation in decision-making is not only a matter of fairness but also of better governance. After almost a decade and a half, there are no excuses for falling behind.”
Chair of the Committee on Gender Equality and Women’s Rights, Lina Gálvez (S&D, ES) said: “30 June 2026 is an important milestone for gender balance in company leadership, thanks to the ‘Women on Boards’ directive. However, progress in member states is uneven, depriving the EU of the potential of more than half its population and undermining competitiveness and long-term growth.”
Rapporteur for the Committee on Legal Affairs, Lara Wolters (S&D, NL) said: “14 years is a long time to wait for boardroom equality. The top line figures are encouraging, but they mask the reality – many parts of Europe are still covered by a glass ceiling which is punctured, not smashed. All member states must implement the law and deliver on the targets.”
Rapporteur for the Gender Equality and Women’s Rights Committee, Evelyn Regner (S&D, AT) said: “You can only be what you can see. The women on boards directive has changed hiring for good. While men still dominate, clear rules and targets will create more female role models — and make companies more successful. This law is a necessity, not a footnote; it has the power to change workplace culture entirely.”
Background
The European Commission first presented its proposal in 2012, but the file was blocked in the Council for almost a decade. Parliament and Council negotiators struck a deal in June 2022. Transposition deadline passed on 28 December 2024 and companies must fully comply with the legislation by 30 June 2026. According to the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) in October 2025, women made up 33.6% of directors of the largest publicly listed companies in the EU with persistent significant differences among member states (from 46.5% in France to 8.5% in Cyprus).
Further information
- Parliament approves landmark rules to boost gender equality on corporate boards
- Gender equality: understanding EU work on women’s rights
Source – EU Parliament