Overview
- The 7 June 2026 deadline passed without national legislation, leaving Germany formally in breach of the EU entgelttransparenz directive and shifting responsibility to the European Commission to consider infringement proceedings.
- Federal Family Minister Karin Prien has argued for a less bureaucratic approach and is seeking changes to timing and content through talks with other member states, saying the rules must fit Germany’s business landscape.
- The government plans to transpose a narrowed version of the directive by early 2027 and to delay the directive’s reporting and expanded employee disclosure duties for companies until June 2028.
- The Commission could open a legal procedure but may hold off if Germany presents concrete, timely plans to implement the directive; such procedures can eventually lead to fines if transposition is not completed.
- Employers face practical and social challenges from transparency rules — from classifying comparable roles to handling workplace tensions — as shown by Mousline’s public pay tables, and unions warn that the delay undermines efforts to close Germany’s large gender pay gap.