The European Parliament adopted by 546 votes to 34 with 50 abstentions a resolution tabled by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality on the application of the principle of equal pay for male and female workers for equal work or work of equal value. It regrets the slow rate of progress in narrowing the gender pay gap in the European Union, noting that in some Member States the gap has even widened. Despite the significant body of legislation in force for almost 40 years, the actions taken and resources spent, the gender pay gap is still a persistent problem and currently stands at 16.2 % across the EU.
Noting that experience has shown that good practices or soft law measures alone rarely serve as incentives, and that the expected peer learning effect does not materialise, Parliament reiterates that Directive 2006/54/EC, in its current form, is not sufficiently effective to tackle the gender pay gap and achieve the objective of gender equality in employment and occupation. It wants the Commission to revise Directive 2006/54/EC without delay and to propose amendments to it, following the detailed recommendations set out in the annex to the Parliament's resolution of 24 May 2012. Lastly, Members ask the Commission to support Member States in reducing the gender pay gap by at least five percentage points annually with the aim of eliminating the gender pay gap by 2020.