This EU directive entered into force on the 21 December 2004 and addresses gender equality and discrimination based on gender outside the field of employment for the first time at EU level.
The directive proved to be controversial in relation to gender as a factor for calculating premiums and benefits for insurance and financial services.
The ruling on the Test-Achats case had major consequences for premiums on car insurance. The rapporteur noted that a report on implementation and binding guidelines from the Commission would have been useful when applying the rules. The Commission must provide clear guidelines as to how to apply the directive and ensure that there are no loopholes in the legislation.