Binding gender quota for listed companies
On 3 December 2019, a motion was carried asking the government to require listed companies to have at least 30% female members on their supervisory board. The proposed binding quota is based on earlier recommendations of the SER.
The government is not obliged to implement the motion. However, it was the government which asked the SER for its opinion on this subject, and the final report is the result of extensive consultation between trade unions, employers and independent experts. There appears to be support for the quota, although voices have also been raised against it. The government has been asked to explain in a letter how it intends to implement the motion. If the government decides to introduce the quota, a bill will be prepared. It is expected that the bill will first be published for consultation. Afterwards, it can be submitted to the Lower House. After being passed by the Lower House, it will be sent to the Upper House for adoption. This will obviously be a lengthy process. Entry into force is not expected before the end of 2020, at the earliest.
