Dutch pay transparency legislative proposal: Submitted to Parliament

On 21 May 2026, the Dutch Minister of Social Affairs and Employment formally submitted the legislative proposal implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive (Directive (EU) 2023/970) to the House of Representatives (Tweede Kamer). The proposal marks the next step in the Dutch implementation process. Although Member States were required to transpose the Directive by 7 June 2026, the Netherlands will not meet that deadline. The government’s current aim is for the new rules to enter into force on 1 January 2027.

Background

A draft version of the legislative proposal was published for public consultation over the period from 26 March to 7 May 2025. Responses were submitted by, amongst others, employer organisations, trade unions, equality bodies and other stakeholders. The proposal was also reviewed by several public bodies, including the Dutch Labour Inspectorate and the Dutch Data Protection Authority. As noted in our previous blog (see here), a number of amendments were made following the consultation process and published in January this year, including changes to the definition of “employer” and adjustments to the role of works councils.

Current status and next steps

The legislative proposal is now before the House of Representatives. It must still proceed through the ordinary Dutch legislative process, including committee scrutiny, parliamentary debate and a vote in the House of Representatives. If adopted, the proposal will then be submitted to the Senate (Eerste Kamer), which may either approve or reject the bill. If the government’s target date of 1 January 2027 is achieved, employers with 150 or more employees would be required to submit their first gender pay gap report by 7 June 2028, covering the 2027 calendar year. Employers with 100 to 149 employees would follow by 7 June 2031, covering the 2030 calendar year. Given the timing of the parliamentary process, including the summer recess of the House of Representatives, the 1 January 2027 target date remains ambitious. We will continue to monitor developments and provide further updates as the legislative process progresses.