EU agrees ‘landmark’ 40% quota for women on corporate boards

Binding targets for boardroom gender equality come 10 years after proposals first made

The EU has agreed that companies will face mandatory quotas to ensure women have at least 40% of seats on corporate boards.

After 10 years of stalemate over the proposals, EU lawmakers hailed a landmark" deal for gender equality. As well as the legally binding target, companies could also be fined for failing to recruit enough women to their non-executive boards and see board appointments cancelled for non-compliance with the law.