ARCHIVESHISTORIQUES
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DOCUMENTS "COM"
COM(73)1927
Vol.1973/0339

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COMMISSION OPTHEEUROPEANCOMMUNITIES
COM(73)1927final
Brussels.14November1973
Proposalfora
COUNCILDIRECTIVE
ontheapproximation ofthelawsofMemberStates
concerningtheapplication oftheprincipleofequal
payformenandwomencontainedinArticle119of
theEECTreaty
(submittedtotheCouncilLytheCommission)
COM(73)1927final

-2- V/1152/1/73-E
EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM
TheCommission presents herewith tothe Council aproposal fora
Directive intended tocontribute totheimplementation inall Member States
oftheCommunity oftheprinciple that men andwomen should receive equal
pay for equal work .
Theimplementation ofthis principle ,which iscontained inArticle
119oftheEECTreaty ,isanintegral part ofthe establishment and
functioning ofthe common market .Under theTreaty itsapplication should
have beeri ensured byeach ofthe sixoriginal Member States during the
first ofthethree stages oftheprogressive establishment ofthe ,common
(1)market andmaintained subsequently .However ,thelatest Report ofthe
Commission ,onthesituation asat31December 1972 ,regarding theapplica­
tion oftheprinciple ofequal -pay formen andwomen in ,theoriginal Member
States ,forwarded totheCouncil on31July .1973 »showed that inspite of
undeniable progress there arestill wide gaps andinadequacies .Moreover ,
2)theadditional information collected bytheCommission from thenew
Member States' also reveals similar gaps ,although these States are induty
bound torespect theprinciple contained inArticle 119ofthe EECTreaty
since they joined theCommunity .Given the fact that ..itis,inthe first
instance ,uptoMember States toensure the application ofArticle 119by
means oflaws ,regulations andadministrative provisions ,theCommission
considers itnecessary ,inorder togive full effect tothat Article ,to
approximate those national provisions which directly affect the establish­
ment and functioning ofthe common market .
furthermore ,whereas Article 119oftheEECTreaty clearly stated
theprinciple ofequal Fay»itseemed necessary ,almost from theoutset ,
tosupplement itinorder tospecify certain procedures ,tending tofacilitaf
itsimplementation .This requirement ,-which theCommission sought original !
tosatisfy initsRecommendation of ;20July ;19&0 ,wasrecognised bythe
representatives oftheMember States who ,intheir Resolution of -30December
1961 ,declared themselves tobe"mindful oftheneed harmoniously toimple,.e
theprinciple ofequal remuneration formen and .Women workers and toprovide
auniform method ofapplication inallMember States' 1.,These are theobject
ives ofthis proposal for aDirective .
(1)Doc .SEC(73 )3C00 final ,18July 1973
(2)Asupplementary report onthis subject isbeing drawn upandwill be
presented totheCouncil atthebeginning of197^.

-3 V/1152/1/73-E
• '
j -, ' î*■ '■ :
·' ! ι »
This proposal should ,be .viewed inthelight oftheguidelines
already given intheRecommendation of20July i960 andintheResolution
of30December 1961 .Itdoes notcover thedefinitions oftheconcepts
of"pay"andof"equal paywithout discrimination based onsex"which are
contained inArticle 119 itself .Neither does itcover the resultant
interpretations orprecisions inthis field particularly inrespect ofthe
criteria forprofessional classification intheaforementioned Recommendation
and Resolution .
This proposal foraDirective isintended first ofall togeneralise
certain minimum protection standards ,such asthose evolving from the
already established interpretation ofArticle 119»which will ensure that
legal proceedings canbeinstituted sothat theright toequal payis
respected (Article 2).Similarly ,anydiscrimination ,asstill exists ,
incertain laws ,which affects wages will beeliminated (Article 3)»It
has also appeared necessary ,without calling into question theindependence
ofthe twosides ofindustry ,torender ineffective allthose provisions of
agreements orcontracts which arecontrary totheprinciple ofequal pay
(Article *1),since agreements concluded freely maynotderogate from
provisions ofpublic ,policy and .since equal rights formen andwomen
obviously constitute abasic principle ofanymodern state .Asthe fear
ofdismissal isamajor ,restraining factor onindividual initiatives aimed
atearning respect fortheright toequal pay ,ithas seemed necessary to
prevent ail -dismissals which take .place .asaresult ofsuch suits (Article 5)
Still inthesame context -that ofaffording increased protection toworkers
Article 6provides forsupervision andforpenalties forthose employers who
donotrespect theprinciple ofequal pay .Lastly ,Article 7isintended
toensure that workers are better informed astotheir rights .
£hemeasures proposed inthis Directive are .confined toafew
specific andessential points concerning thedirect responsibility of
public bodies .They ,must take their place ,inacomprehensive setof
measures envisaged by ,theCommission andcomprising ,ontheonehand )a
proposal that both sides ofindustry negotiate aEuropean framework agreement
and ,onthe other hand ,aCommunity action programme intended topromote the
upgrading of .female employment ,and covering fields such asvocational guidance
training andreadaptation .

-■if-" V/1152/1/7>E
Proposal for a
COUNCIL DIRECTIVE
ontheapproximation ofthe laws ofMember States
concerning theapplication oftheprinciple ofequal pay
formenandwomen contained inArticle 119oftheEECTreaty
THECOUNCIL OFTHEEUROPEAN COMMUNITIES ,
Having regard tothe'Treaty establishing theEuropean Economic Community ,
andinparticular Article 100thereof ; ,
Having regard totheproposal from theCommission ;
Having regard totheOpinion oftheEuropean Parliament ;
Having regard totheOpinion of.,theEconomic andSocial Committee ;
/
Whereas the implementation ofthe principle that men andwomen should
receive equal pay forequal work contained inArticle 119 oftheEEC
Treaty is'anintegral part ofthe establishment and functioning ofthe
common market ;
Whereas itisfirst ofall theresponsibility ofMember States toensure the
♦.•
application ofthis principle bymeans ofadequate laws ,regulations and
administrative provisions ;
Whereas ,inspite oftheadoption bytheConference ofMember States of
aResolution intended toimplement harmoniously the principle ofequal
payand ,consequently ,toprovide auniform method ofapplication inall
Member States ,considerable differences may beobserved inthenational
provisions ;
Whereas /this being so,itisnecessary toremove these differences and ,
consequently ,toapproximate the'national provisions ;

-5 - V/1152/1/73-E
Whereas ,moreover ,even inthose States with themost advanced legislation ,
doubts remain with regard tothepractical application oftheprinciple of
equality ,andwhereas itisdesirable ,inconsequence ,toreinforce the
basic laws bystandards aimed atfacilitating their practical application
insuch away that allworkers intheCommunity may enjoy effective
protection inthis field j
Whereas ,moreover ,inorder that thegrowing number offemale .workers
maybenefit from theharmonisation oftheimprovement ofworkers' living
andworking conditions aspart ofabalanced socio-economic development
< '
oftheCommunity ,itisnecessary .toimprove andharmonise the above -
mentioned provisions ;
t '• . . . . '
HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE :
Article 1
t '
This Directive isintended toapproximate the laws ,regulations
andadministrative provisions concerning theapplication oftheprinciple
that menandwomen should receive equal pay forequal work ,contained in
Article 119oftheTreaty establishing theEuropean Economic Community 1
andhereinafter called "theprinciple ofequal pay".
Article 2
Member States shall introduce into their domestic legal systems
such measures asarenecessary toenable allpersons who consider themselves
aggrieved bythenon-application oftheprinciple ofequal pay toenforce
their claims before the courts . ' •' '
.«^. -. Article 3-
Member States shall abolish all discrimination between men and
women arising from laws ,regulations oradministrative provisions affecting
wages ,,particularly as .regards the .public and similar services ,thelegal

-6_ V/1152/1/73-E
minimum wage and statutory wage-related allowances orbenefits other than
those falling within social security systems which are directly regulated
bylaw .
Article h
Member States shall take all necessary measures torender ineffective
anyprovisions ,contrary totheprinciple ofequal pay which appear in
collective agreements ,wage scales ,wage agreements orindividual contracts
ofemployment ..
Article 5
Member States shall take thenecessary measures toprevent any
dismissals which might beconstrued asanemployer 'sreaction toacomplaint
atthelevel ofthe .undertaking ortosuits ,tending toensure that the
principle ofequal pay isrespected .
Article 6
Member States shall ensure tha,t theapplication oftheprxnciple
ofequal pay issupervised atthe level oftheundertaking and that all
infringements arepunished .
•>
Article 7
Provisions adopted inpursuance ofthis Directive and those already
inforce inthis connection shall bebrought totheattention ofworkers
inanyappropriate manner attheir places ofwork .
Article 8
Within aperiod of6months ,dating from theday that this Directive
hasbeen notified ,theMember States shall amend their laws inaccordance
with theaforementioned minimal provisions andshall forthwith inform the
Commission thereof .Laws thus amended shall enter into force one year
after this Directive has been notified ornot later than 31December 1975 .

-7 V/1152/1/73-E
Article 9" - .
Inthe twoyears dating from theexpiry oftheperiod ofoneyear
specified inArticle 8andnotlater than 31December 1977 »theMember
States shall forward totheCommission alltheinformation enabling itto
draw upareport ontheapplication ofthis Directive forsubmission to
/
the Council .
Furthermore ,once this Directive hasbeen notified ,Member States
shall ensure that theCommission isinformed ,intime for ittosubmit "
its comments ,ofthemost important laws ,regulations andadministrative
provisions which they envisage adopting inthe field covered bythis
Directive .
Article 10
This Directive isadressed tothe Member States . '