As one data point, people never discus before-tax salaries in my home country (Croatia), it's always after-taxes and all other mandatory deductions. I believe the same holds true for at least several other EU countries from the region.
Officially, on the employment contract, the salary is shown before-tax, but after mandatory pension and healthcare deductions.
However, in the negotiations, in casual conversation, and when you're hearing someone talking about their salary in the media, it's always discussed after taxes. Most people have no idea how much tax (or health insurance) they're actually paying.