Improving the Gender Balance Among Directors of Listed Companies in the EU

Abstract

Abstract 166In November 2022 the Council and the European Parliament adopted Directive (EU) 2022/2381 on improving the gender balance among directors of listed companies and related measures. Thus, by 30 June 2026, European Member States must ensure that large, listed companies reach the Directive’s gender balance objectives. Gender balance is achieved when members of the underrepresented sex hold at least 40% of non-executive director positions or members of the underrepresented sex hold at least 33% of all director positions, including both executive and non-executive directors. To achieve gender balance Member States must set up a procedure for selecting candidates for appointment or election to director positions. Although the article finds that quotas are the best model to bring about a real improve to gender balance on company boards, it questions whether the model, the Commission has chosen will achieve the objective of the Directive. However, the article also finds that it is likely to have a positive effect in the Member States that has been lagging behind. Moreover, the article criticizes that the Directive does not openly address the company law implications of the established procedure, and finds that the application of principles of equal treatment in top-management positions place the Directive in an unclear position between employment matters and company law.167