Equal opportunities and equal treatment of men and women: employment and occupation. Recast

2004/0084(COD)

Pending the opinion of the European Parliament, the Council endorsed a general approach to the proposed Directive

The objective of this proposal is to contribute to legal certainty and clarity by bringing together in a single text the main provisions existing in this field, as well as reflecting certain developments arising out of well-established case law of the European Court of Justice.

The proposal aims to merge the following seven existing Directives on the equal treatment of men and women in the field of employment into one single coherent instrument:

-         Directive 75/117/EEC on equal pay;

-         Directive 76/207/EEC, as amended by Directive 2002/73/EC, on equal treatment as regards access to employment, vocational training and promotion, and working conditions;

-         Directive 86/378/EEC, as amended by Directive 96/97/EC, on equal treatment in occupational security schemes;

-         Directive 97/80/EC, as amended by Directive 98/52/EC, on the burden of proof in cases of discrimination based on sex.