EU salary‑transparency directive prompts new reporting rules in Spain and France

The EU Directive on pay‑transparency obliges companies with 250 or more employees to disclose gender‑pay gaps and justify salary policies. Spain must transpose the rules into national law by 7 June 2026, requiring annual pay‑gap reports, mandatory salary ranges in job ads and a ban on asking candidates about their past earnings. Companies will also need to document the objectives behind pay levels and provide aggregated gender‑pay data to workers.

In France, the government announced it will present a draft law on salary transparency to the cabinet in June, although parliamentary schedules and disagreements between employer groups and unions may delay full implementation. The proposed French legislation mirrors the EU requirements, demanding that job postings include a salary figure or range and prohibiting inquiries into candidates’ salary histories. Both countries aim to reduce the persistent gender pay gap, which remains around 25 % in France and is a central focus of the directive.