Council Directive 2004/113/EC of 13 December 2004 implementing the principle of equal treatment between men and women in the access to and supply of goods and services
Date: 2004-12-13
Institutions: Council of the European Union
Subjects: equal treatment, financial institution, gender equality, insurance company, provision of services, service industry, sexual discrimination

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COUNCIL DIRECTIVE 2004/113/EC

of 13 December 2004

implementing the principle of equal treatment between men and women in the access to and
supply of goods and services

THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN UNION,

European Convention for
Rights
and Fundamental
Member States are signatories.

the Protection of Human
to which all
Freedoms,

Having regard to the Treaty
Community and in particular Article 13(1) thereof,

establishing the European

Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Parliament (1),

Having regard to the Opinion of the European Economic and
Social Committee (2),

Having regard to the opinion of
Regions (3),

the Committee of

the

Whereas:

(1)

(2)

In accordance with Article 6 of the Treaty on European
Union, the Union is founded on the principles of liberty,
democracy, respect for human rights and fundamental
freedoms and the rule of
law, principles which are
common to the Member States, and respects fundamental
rights as guaranteed by the European Convention for the
Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
traditions
and as they result
common to the Member States as general principles of
Community law.

from the constitutional

The right
to equality before the law and protection
against discrimination for all persons constitutes a
universal right recognised by the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights, the United Nations Convention on
the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against
Women, the International Convention on the Elimination
of all
forms of Racial Discrimination and the United
Nations Covenants on Civil and Political Rights and on
Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and by the

(1) Opinion delivered on 30 March 2004 (not yet published in the

Official Journal).

(2) OJ C 241, 28.9.2004, p. 44.
(3) OJ C 121, 30.4.2004, p. 27.

other

(3) While prohibiting discrimination,

to
respect
freedoms,
including the protection of private and family life and
transactions carried out in that context and the freedom
of religion.

fundamental

it
rights

important

is
and

(4)

(5)

(6)

Equality between men and women is a fundamental
principle of the European Union. Articles 21 and 23 of
the Charter of Fundamental Rights of
the European
Union prohibit any discrimination on grounds of sex
and require equality between men and women to be
ensured in all areas.

Article 2 of
the Treaty establishing the European
Community provides that promoting such equality is
one of
tasks. Similarly,
Article 3(2) of the Treaty requires the Community to
aim to eliminate inequalities and to promote equality
between men and women in all its activities.

the Community's

essential

is

The Commission announced its intention of proposing a
directive on sex discrimination outside of
the labour
market
in its Communication on the Social Policy
fully consistent with
Agenda. Such a proposal
Council Decision 2001/51/EC of 20 December 2000
establishing a Programme relating to the Community
framework strategy on gender equality (2001-2005) (4)
at
covering
promoting equality for men and women by adjusting
these policies and implementing practical measures to
improve the situation of men and women in society.

all Community

policies

aimed

and

(7)

At its meeting in Nice of 7 and 9 December 2000, the
European Council called on the Commission to reinforce
equality-related rights by adopting a proposal
for a
directive on promoting gender equality in areas other
than employment and professional life.

(4) OJ L 17, 19.1.2001, p. 22.

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

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The Community has adopted a range of legal instruments
to prevent and combat sex discrimination in the labour
market. These instruments have demonstrated the value
of legislation in the fight against discrimination.

action. An individual who provides goods or services
may have a number of subjective reasons for his or
her choice of contractual partner. As
the
choice of partner is not based on that person's sex,
this Directive should not prejudice the individual's
freedom to choose a contractual partner.

long as

Discrimination based on sex, including harassment and
sexual harassment, also takes place in areas outside of the
labour market. Such discrimination can be equally
damaging, acting as a barrier to the full and successful
integration of men and women into economic and social
life.

(15)

Problems are particularly apparent in the area of the
access to and supply of goods and services. Discrimi-
nation based on sex, should therefore be prevented and
eliminated in this area. As
in the case of Council
Directive 2000/43/EC of 29 June 2000 implementing
the principle of equal treatment between persons irre-
spective of racial and ethnic origin (1), this objective can
be better achieved by means of Community legislation.

Such legislation should prohibit discrimination based on
sex in the access to and supply of goods and services.
Goods should be taken to be those within the meaning
of the provisions of the Treaty establishing the European
Community relating to the free movement of goods.
Services
those within the
taken to be
meaning of Article 50 of that Treaty.

should be

To prevent discrimination based on sex, this Directive
should apply to both direct discrimination and indirect
discrimination. Direct discrimination occurs only when
one person is treated less favourably, on grounds of
sex,
than another person in a comparable situation.
Accordingly, for example, differences between men and
women in the provision of healthcare services, which
result from the physical differences between men and
relate to comparable situations and
women, do not
therefore, do not constitute discrimination.

(13)

goods

The prohibition of discrimination should apply to
persons providing
and services, which are
available to the public and which are offered outside
the area of private and family life and the transactions
carried out in this context. It should not apply to the
content of media or advertising nor to public or private
education.

(14) All individuals enjoy the freedom to contract, including
the freedom to choose a contractual partner for a trans-

(1) OJ L 180, 19.7.2000, p. 22.

the

the principle of

implementation of

There are already a number of existing legal instruments
for
equal
treatment between men and women in matters of
employment and occupation. Therefore,
this Directive
should not apply in this field. The same reasoning
applies to matters of self-employment insofar as they
are covered by existing legal instruments. The Directive
should apply only to insurance and pensions which are
private, voluntary and separate from the employment
relationship.

(16) Differences in treatment may be accepted only if they are
justified by a legitimate aim. A legitimate aim may, for
example, be the protection of victims of sex-related
violence (in cases such as the establishment of single-
sex shelters), reasons of privacy and decency (in cases
such as the provision of accommodation by a person
the promotion of
in a part of
gender equality or of the interests of men or women
(for example single-sex voluntary bodies), the freedom
of association (in cases of membership of single-sex
private clubs), and the organisation of sporting activities
(for example single-sex sports events). Any limitation
should nevertheless be appropriate and necessary in
accordance with the criteria derived from case law of
the Court of Justice of the European Communities.

that person's home),

(17)

The principle of equal treatment in the access to goods
and services does not require that facilities should always
be provided to men and women on a shared basis, as
long as they are not provided more favourably to
members of one sex.

(18)

In order to ensure equal

The use of actuarial factors related to sex is widespread in
insurance and other related financial
the provision of
services.
treatment between
men and women, the use of sex as an actuarial factor
should not result in differences in individuals' premiums
and benefits. To avoid a sudden readjustment of
the
market, the implementation of this rule should apply
only to new contracts concluded after the date of trans-
position of this Directive.

(19)

(20)

(21)

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Certain categories of risks may vary between the sexes. In
some cases, sex is one but not necessarily the only deter-
mining factor in the assessment of risks insured. For
contracts insuring those types of risks, Member States
may decide to permit exemptions from the rule of
unisex premiums and benefits, as long as they can
ensure that underlying actuarial and statistical data on
which the calculations are based, are reliable, regularly
up-dated and available to the public. Exemptions are
allowed only where national legislation has not already
applied the unisex rule. Five years after transposition of
this Directive, Member States should re-examine the justi-
fication for these exemptions, taking into account the
most recent actuarial and statistical data and a report
by the Commission three years after the date of transpo-
sition of this Directive.

(25)

in accordance
with relevant stakeholders, which have,
with national
law and practice, a legitimate interest in
contributing to the fight against discrimination on
grounds of sex in the area of access to and supply of
goods and services.

Protection against discrimination based on sex should
itself be strengthened by the existence of a body or
in each Member State, with competence to
bodies
analyse
to study possible
the problems
solutions and to provide concrete assistance for the
victims. The body or bodies may be the same as those
with responsibility at national
level for the defence of
human rights or the safeguarding of individuals' rights,
or
equal
the
treatment.

implementation of

the principle of

involved,

Less favourable treatment of women for
reasons of
pregnancy and maternity should be considered a form
of direct discrimination based on sex and therefore
prohibited in insurance and related financial services.
Costs
related to risks of pregnancy and maternity
should therefore not be attributed to the members of
one sex only.

Persons who have been subject to discrimination based
on sex should have adequate means of legal protection.
To provide a more effective level of protection, asso-
ciations, organisations and other legal entities should
also be empowered to engage in proceedings, as the
Member States so determine, either on behalf or in
support of any victim, without prejudice to national
rules of procedure
representation and
concerning
defence before the courts.

(22)

The rules on the burden of proof should be adapted
when there is a prima facie case of discrimination and
for the principle of equal treatment to be applied effec-
the burden of proof should shift back to the
tively,
defendant when evidence of
such discrimination is
brought.

(26)

This Directive lays down minimum requirements, thus
giving the Member States the option of introducing or
maintaining more favourable provisions. The implemen-
tation of this Directive should not serve to justify any
regression in relation to the situation, which already
prevails in each Member State.

(27) Member States should provide for effective, proportionate
and dissuasive penalties in cases of breaches of the obli-
gations under this Directive.

(28)

Since the objectives of this Directive, namely to ensure a
common high level of protection against discrimination
in all the Member States, cannot be sufficiently achieved
by the Member States and can, therefore, by reason of
the scale and effects of the action, be better achieved at
Community level, the Community may adopt measures,
in accordance with the principle of subsidiarity as set out
in Article 5 of
In accordance with the
principle of proportionality, as set out in that Article,
this Directive does not go beyond what is necessary in
order to achieve those objectives.

the Treaty.

(23)

The effective implementation of the principle of equal
treatment requires adequate judicial protection against
victimisation.

(29)

In accordance with paragraph 34 of the interinstitutional
agreement on better law-making (1), Member States are
encouraged to draw up, for themselves and in the interest
of the Community, their own tables, which will, as far as
possible, illustrate the correlation between the Directive
and the transposition measures and to make them public,

(24) With a view to promoting the principle of equal
treatment, Member States should encourage dialogue

(1) OJ C 321, 31.12.2003, p. 1.

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HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:

CHAPTER I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1

Purpose

The purpose of this Directive is to lay down a framework for
combating discrimination based on sex in access to and supply
of goods and services, with a view to putting into effect in the
Member States the principle of equal treatment between men
and women.

Article 2

Definitions

provide goods and services, which are available to the public
irrespective of the person concerned as regards both the public
and private sectors,
including public bodies, and which are
offered outside the area of private and family life and the trans-
actions carried out in this context.

2.
This Directive does not prejudice the individual's freedom
to choose a contractual partner as long as an individual's choice
of contractual partner is not based on that person's sex.

This Directive shall not apply to the content of media and

3.
advertising nor to education.

This Directive shall not apply to matters of employment
4.
and occupation. This Directive shall not apply to matters of self-
employment,
insofar as these matters are covered by other
Community legislative acts.

For the purposes of this Directive, the following definitions shall
apply:

Article 4

Principle of equal treatment

(a) direct discrimination: where one person is treated less
favourably, on grounds of sex, than another is, has been
or would be treated in a comparable situation;

(b) indirect

discrimination: where

an apparently neutral
provision, criterion or practice would put persons of one
sex at a particular disadvantage compared with persons of
the other sex, unless that provision, criterion or practice is
objectively justified by a legitimate aim and the means of
achieving that aim are appropriate and necessary;

For the purposes of this Directive, the principle of equal

1.
treatment between men and women shall mean that

(a)

there shall be no direct discrimination based on sex,
including less favourable treatment of women for reasons
of pregnancy and maternity;

(b) there shall be no indirect discrimination based on sex.

This Directive

to more
2.
favourable provisions concerning the protection of women as
regards pregnancy and maternity.

shall be without prejudice

(c) harassment: where an unwanted conduct related to the sex
of a person occurs with the purpose or effect of violating
the dignity of a person and of creating an intimidating,
hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment;

(d) sexual harassment: where any form of unwanted physical,
verbal, non-verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature
occurs, with the purpose or effect of violating the dignity of
in particular when creating an intimidating,
a person,
hostile, degrading, humiliating or offensive environment.

Article 3

Scope

1. Within the limits of
Community,

the powers conferred upon the
this Directive shall apply to all persons who

3.
Harassment and sexual harassment within the meaning of
this Directive shall be deemed to be discrimination on the
grounds of sex and therefore prohibited. A person's rejection
of, or submission to, such conduct may not be used as a basis
for a decision affecting that person.

Instruction to direct or indirect discrimination on the
4.
grounds of sex shall be deemed to be discrimination within
the meaning of this Directive.

the provision of

This Directive shall not preclude differences in treatment,
5.
if
the goods and services exclusively or
primarily to members of one sex is justified by a legitimate
aim and the means of achieving that aim are appropriate and
necessary.

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Article 5

Actuarial factors

protection against discrimination already afforded by Member
States in the fields covered by this Directive.

1. Member States shall ensure that
in all new contracts
concluded after 21 December 2007 at the latest, the use of
sex as a factor in the calculation of premiums and benefits
insurance and related financial services
for the purposes of
shall not result
in differences in individuals' premiums and
benefits.

2.
Notwithstanding paragraph 1, Member States may decide
before 21 December 2007 to permit proportionate differences
in individuals' premiums and benefits where the use of sex is a
determining factor in the assessment of risk based on relevant
and accurate actuarial and statistical data. The Member States
concerned shall
inform the Commission and ensure that
to the use of sex as a determining
accurate data relevant
actuarial factor are compiled, published and regularly updated.
These Member States shall review their decision five years after
21 December 2007, taking into account the Commission report
referred to in Article 16, and shall forward the results of this
review to the Commission.

In any event, costs related to pregnancy and maternity
in differences in individuals' premiums and

3.
shall not result
benefits.

Member States may defer implementation of
the measures
necessary to comply with this paragraph until two years after
21 December 2007 at the latest. In that case the Member States
concerned shall immediately inform the Commission.

Article 6

Positive action

CHAPTER II

REMEDIES AND ENFORCEMENT

Article 8

Defence of rights

1. Member States shall ensure that judicial and/or adminis-
trative procedures,
including where they deem it appropriate
conciliation procedures, for the enforcement of the obligations
under this Directive are available to all persons who consider
themselves wronged by failure to apply the principle of equal
treatment to them, even after the relationship in which the
discrimination is alleged to have occurred has ended.

introduce into their national

2. Member States shall
legal
systems such measures as are necessary to ensure real and
effective compensation or reparation, as the Member States so
for the loss and damage sustained by a person
determine,
injured as a result of discrimination within the meaning of
this Directive, in a way which is dissuasive and proportionate
to the damage suffered. The fixing of a prior upper limit shall
not restrict such compensation or reparation.

3. Member States shall ensure that associations, organisations
in accordance with the
or other legal entities, which have,
criteria laid down by their national
law, a legitimate interest
in ensuring that the provisions of this Directive are complied
with, may engage, on behalf or in support of the complainant,
with his or her approval, in any judicial and/or administrative
procedure provided for the enforcement of obligations under
this Directive.

With a view to ensuring full equality in practice between men
and women, the principle of equal treatment shall not prevent
any Member State from maintaining or adopting specific
measures to prevent or compensate for disadvantages linked
to sex.

4.
Paragraphs 1 and 3 shall be without prejudice to national
rules on time limits for bringing actions relating to the principle
of equal treatment.

Article 7

Minimum requirements

Article 9

Burden of proof

1. Member States may introduce or maintain provisions
which are more favourable to the protection of the principle
of equal treatment between men and women than those laid
down in this Directive.

2.
The implementation of this Directive shall in no circum-
stances constitute grounds for a reduction in the level of

1. Member States shall take such measures as are necessary,
in accordance with their national
judicial systems, to ensure
that, when persons who consider themselves wronged because
the principle of equal treatment has not been applied to them
establish, before a court or other competent authority, facts
from which it may be presumed that there has been direct or
indirect discrimination, it shall be for the respondent to prove
that
the principle of equal
treatment.

there has been no breach of

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Paragraph 1 shall not prevent Member States from intro-
2.
ducing rules of evidence, which are more favourable to
plaintiffs.

Article 8(3), providing independent assistance to victims of
discrimination in pursuing their complaints about discrimi-
nation;

3.

Paragraph 1 shall not apply to criminal procedures.

(b) conducting independent surveys concerning discrimination;

Paragraphs 1, 2 and 3 shall also apply to any proceedings

4.
brought in accordance with Article 8(3).

(c) publishing independent

reports and making recommen-

dations on any issue relating to such discrimination.

5. Member States need not apply paragraph 1 to proceedings
in which it is for the court or other competent authority to
investigate the facts of the case.

Article 10

Victimisation

Member States shall introduce into their national legal systems
such measures as are necessary to protect persons from any
adverse treatment or adverse consequence as a reaction to a
complaint or
enforcing
compliance with the principle of equal treatment.

to legal proceedings

aimed at

CHAPTER IV

FINAL PROVISIONS

Article 13

Compliance

Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that
the principle of equal treatment is respected in relation to the
access to and supply of goods and services within the scope of
this Directive, and in particular that:

Article 11

Dialogue with relevant stakeholders

(a) any laws, regulations and administrative provisions contrary

to the principle of equal treatment are abolished;

With a view to promoting the principle of equal treatment,
Member States shall encourage dialogue with relevant stake-
holders which have,
law and
in contributing to the fight
practice, a legitimate interest
against discrimination on grounds of sex in the area of access
to and supply of goods and services.

in accordance with national

(b) any contractual provisions,

internal rules of undertakings,
and rules governing profit-making or non-profit-making
associations contrary to the principle of equal treatment
are, or may be, declared null and void or are amended.

CHAPTER III

BODIES FOR THE PROMOTION OF EQUAL TREATMENT

Article 12

for a body or bodies

1. Member States shall designate and make the necessary
the promotion,
arrangements
for
treatment of all
analysis, monitoring and support of equal
persons without discrimination on the grounds of sex. These
bodies may form part of agencies charged at national level with
the defence of human rights or the safeguard of individuals'
rights, or
the principle of equal
treatment.

the implementation of

Article 14

Penalties

Member States shall lay down the rules on penalties applicable
to infringements of the national provisions adopted pursuant to
this Directive and shall take all measures necessary to ensure
that they are applied. The penalties, which may comprise the
payment of compensation to the victim, shall be effective,
proportionate and dissuasive. Member States shall notify those
provisions to the Commission by 21 December 2007 at the
latest and shall notify it without delay of any subsequent
amendment affecting them.

2. Member States shall ensure that the competencies of the
bodies referred to in paragraph 1 include:

(a) without prejudice to the rights of victims and of asso-
ciations, organisations or other legal entities referred to in

Article 15

Dissemination of information

take care that

Member States shall
the provisions adopted
pursuant to this Directive, together with the relevant provisions
already in force, are brought to the attention of the persons
concerned by all appropriate means throughout their territory.

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Article 16

Reports

1. Member States shall communicate all available infor-
this Directive to the
mation concerning the application of
Commission, by 21 December 2009. and every five years
thereafter.

The Commission shall draw up a summary report, which shall
include a review of the current practices of Member States in
relation to Article 5 with regard to the use of sex as a factor in
the calculation of premiums and benefits. It shall submit this
report to the European Parliament and to the Council no later
21 December 2010. Where appropriate, the Commission shall
accompany its report with proposals to modify the Directive.

The Commission's report shall take into account the view-

2.
points of relevant stakeholders.

Article 17

Transposition

1. Member States shall bring into force the laws, regulations
and administrative provisions necessary to comply with this
Directive by 21 December 2007 at
the latest. They shall
forthwith communicate to the Commission the text of those
provisions.

When Member States adopt these measures, they shall contain a
reference to this Directive or be accompanied by such a
reference on the occasion of
their official publication. The
methods of making such publication of reference shall be laid
down by the Member States.

2. Member States shall communicate to the Commission the
text of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in
the field covered by this Directive.

Article 18

Entry into force

This Directive shall enter into force on the day of its publication
in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Article 19

Addressees

This Directive is addressed to the Member States.

Done at Brussels, 13 December 2004.

For the Council
The President

B. R. BOT