Romania: Draft law implementing the Gender Pay Transparency Directive currently before Parliament

At a glance

• On 17 June 2026, a draft law implementing the Gender Pay Transparency Directive was registered with the Romanian Senate, earlier than expected given the imminent parliamentary recess and absence of a new government.
• The draft largely mirrors the version published by the Romanian government on 30 March 2026, with limited amendments primarily aimed at clarifying existing provisions.
• Certain changes introduce nuance, including recognition that workers’ representatives may not exist in all organisations and more detailed requirements on information to be provided to candidates regarding variable remuneration.
• The proposed administrative fines are now linked to the national minimum gross salary, meaning they will adjust over time in line with wage increases, although overall levels remain broadly consistent.
• The bill is expected to proceed under the standard legislative process, with limited time for progress before the parliamentary recess begins on 1 July.

While a new government has yet to be formed and the parliamentary recess is due to begin on 1 July, it had been widely expected that developments on pay transparency implementation in Romania would not emerge until September 2026. However, on 17 June 2026, a group of Members of Parliament unexpectedly registered a draft law implementing the EU Pay Transparency Directive with the Romanian Senate, acting as the first chamber.

The new draft appears, at first glance, to closely follow the earlier version prepared by the Romanian government and published on 30 March 2026. Although much of the text remains unchanged, certain provisions have been refined to clarify existing wording, and some targeted amendments have been introduced.

• The workers' representatives- Unlike in the first draft, the new draft law mentions 'if existing' which suggests that it accepts the possibility that there might not be any workers' representatives in a company, although no further guidance is provided.
• The information to candidates - This now more clearly requires a summary description of complementary or variable remuneration components (such as bonuses or benefits), which are distinguished from core salary elements while maintaining the protection of trade secrets.
• The administrative fines for failure to observe the key obligations under the draft law - These are now proposed to be calculated by reference to the national minimum gross salary, meaning they will be subject to periodic adjustment in line with wage increases (including the next increase scheduled for 1 July), although the overall levels remain broadly unchanged.

However, other sensitive points have remained the same as in the first draft law, such as the approach to confidentiality clauses in employment contracts.

In terms of next steps, the draft has not been submitted under an emergency legislative procedure and is therefore expected to follow the standard parliamentary process. We are closely monitoring to see how much it will progress within the remaining week and a half until the parliamentary recess.