Gender balance on company boards

If your company has more than 250 employees, an annual turnover of over €50 million, or a balance sheet total above €43 million, you should apply EU rules on the gender balance in your boardroom.

Gender balance requirements

As of 30 June 2026, large listed EU companies must ensure that both sexes hold at least 40% of non-executive board positions (or 33% among all board positions).

If these targets are not met, fair and transparent selection procedures must be met using clear, gender-neutral criteria. Merit remains the key factor, and gender only needs to be considered if two candidates are equally qualified. For executive board members, you must undertake individual commitments to improve gender balance, but no specific quotas apply.

Compliance and reporting

If you do not meet the targets, you must explain why and outline measures to improve. National authorities will enforce compliance through penalties which may include fines or annulment of the contested director’s appointment.

National authorities are required to publish information on companies that are reaching targets, which serves as peer-pressure to complement enforcement.