EU adopts Women on Boards directive requiring 33‑40% female directors in listed firms

The European Union has passed the "Women on Boards" directive, obliging the largest listed companies to ensure that women hold 33 % to 40 % of board and supervisory committee seats. The measure aims to improve gender balance in corporate leadership, though critics argue it prioritises parity over merit.

In Poland, industry leaders such as Dr. Mirosław Kachniewski, president of the Association of Listed Companies, say the rule should focus on recruitment competence rather than gender. He warns that the current naming of the directive may entrench existing biases and even, in the long term, protect men if recruitment practices remain unchanged. The debate centres on whether the directive will genuinely reshape board composition or merely reinforce existing selection habits.