Overview

• On August 1 the European Court of Justice ruled that Spain failed to transpose the EU work-life balance directive and imposed a €6.8 million fine.
• A daily coercive penalty of €19,700 per day was threatened until compliance but was suspended following Spain’s new birth and care leave decree.
• Spain was also ordered to bear the European Commission’s legal costs.
• The infringement process began with a formal notice in September 2022 and escalated to an ECJ referral in January 2024 after Congress rejected Spain’s December 2023 transposition decree.
• Spain’s Royal Decree on birth and care leave extends paid parental leave provisions to eight weeks and aligns domestic law with EU requirements.