New EU quota for women in top positions more ambitions than Dutch one

The European Parliament approved a new quota for women in top positions on Tuesday that is somewhat more ambitious than the pre-existing quota in the Netherlands.

From 2026, 40 percent of large European companies’ supervisory boards must consist of women. If that fails, both the supervisory board and executive board must consist of at least one-third of women. If companies don’t comply with the quota, they face fines or male appointments being blocked.

The Dutch quota, which took effect at the start of this year, states that one-third of large companies’ supervisory boards must be women. The intention is that the women on the supervisory board, through their role in appointing board members, will also ensure more women on the boards of directors.

According to NU.nl, this year, 38 percent of all supervisory directors of companies listed in the Netherlands are women, up from 33 percent last year. However, many companies do not yet meet the quota.

Lara Wolters, a PvdA member of the European Parliament, is pleased that the quota is finally here. According to her, countries where quotas already apply, like the Netherlands and Belgium, show that they work. While countries that don’t have a quota, like Poland and Luxembourg, had little progress in getting women into business leadership positions in recent years.

Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission, is also satisfied. “Enough women are qualified for top jobs. With this law, we ensure that women also get those positions.”