Measures introduced by some Member States to strengthen the gender balance on company boards vary widely, and a substantial number of Member States, in particular those where the share of women among directors is particularly low, have not taken any action in this area.

(28) This Directive aims to improve the gender balance among directors of companies listed on stock exchanges and thus to contribute to the realisation of the principle of equal treatment between men and women, recognised as a fundamental right of the Union.

Therefore, the rapporteur welcomes the initiatives proposed by the G 20, the Larosière report and by the European Commission taken up in its two recommendations, (Commission Recommendation of 30 April 2009 on remuneration policies in the financial services sector (C(2009) 3159), and the Commission Recommendation of 30 April 2009 complementing Recommendations 2004/913/EC and 2005/162/EC as regards the regime for the remuneration of directors of listed companies (C(2009) 3177), in which the European Commission has given its views on remuneration policy of directors in financial institutions and in stock exchange listed companies.

3. Considers that the personal financial interest of directors linked to variable remuneration is, in many cases, in conflict with the long-term interests of the company; stresses that policy on the remuneration of directors and other staff who bear responsibility for risky decisions should be consistent with a balanced and properly functioning system of risk management, and that there should be an appropriate ratio between fixed and variable pay; calls urgently for the introduction, across the board, of measures for the reduction, or indeed withdrawal, of the variable pay of categories of staff whose performance is responsible for a d ...[+++]eterioration in their company’s results;

Report from the Commission to the European Parliament, the Council, the European Economic and Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions Report on the application by Member States of the EU of the Commission 2009/385/EC Recommendation (2009 Recommendation on directors´ remuneration) complementing Recommendations 2004/913/EC and 2005/162/EC as regards the regime for the remuneration of directors of listed companies (COM(2010) 285 final, 2.5.2010)

EUROPA - EU law and publications - EUR-Lex - EUR-Lex - mi0019 - EN - Regime for the remuneration of directors of listed companies