Malta one of three EU countries with partial progress on Pay Transparency Directive

Malta is one of just three European Union member states that have partially implemented the bloc’s new Pay Transparency Directive, placing it ahead of most of its peers as the 2026 transposition deadline approaches.

According to Addleshaw Goddard’s latest Pay Transparency Directive Implementation Tracker (September 2025), Malta joins Belgium and Poland as the only countries to have made tangible progress toward embedding the directive into national law.

The directive aims to close the EU’s gender pay gap by requiring employers to disclose salary ranges, ensure transparency in pay structures and offer clear mechanisms for employees to challenge unequal pay. Member states have until 7th June 2026 to transpose it into domestic legislation.

In August 2025, the new employment regulations came into force in Malta.

Despite the deadline, the pace of implementation across Europe has been uneven. The tracker shows that 10 of the 27 EU countries, including Italy, Denmark, Portugal and Greece, have yet to take any formal steps to begin implementation.

Another eight countries, such as France, Spain, and Finland, are in the preparatory phase, with draft proposals expected soon following consultations with social partners.

Meanwhile, four member states – Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, and Sweden – have already published draft legislation, signalling they are on track to meet the deadline.

Germany, which already has an existing pay transparency framework, is working on updates to align its national law with the new EU standards.

Malta’s early, though partial, implementation places it in a small group of frontrunners.