European Commission chases Italy on discriminatory pensions
09/06/2010

Summary

The European Commission is taking further legal action against Italy for continuing discriminatory differences in pension ages for women and men in public service

Description

On 3 June 2010, the European Commission sent a second request to Italy to comply with a ruling from the European Court of Justice relating to differences in pension ages for Italian male and female civil servants.

Following the judgment, Italy had introduced new measures providing for an equal pensionable age for staff working in the public sector to be gradually introduced by 2018. Despite the new provisions, the Commission considers that a difference in treatment continues to exist. The new measures are considered inadequate as the transition arrangement is in breach with Article 157 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union regarding equal pay for women and men.

Further reading

The 2008 Country report on measures to combat discrimination in Italy, drafted by the Italian expert of the Network of independent legal experts in the non-discrimination field, details the pension age regime before the ruling of the Court and the infrigment procedure brought by the Commission.

To download the 2008 report or summary, click here.