Den 29. april 2020 annoncerede EU-kommissæren for retfærdighed, Didier Reynders, at Kommissionen forpligter sig til at indføre regler for obligatorisk virksomhedernes miljø- og menneskerettighedsundersøgelser (due diligence). Meddelelsen blev foretaget under en online begivenhed på højt niveau, der var arrangeret af EU-Parlamentets arbejdsgruppe for ansvarlig forretningsadfærd. Her præsenterede kommissæren resultaterne af Kommissionens undersøgelse af muligheder for regulering af krav til due diligence.
Læs Økonomisk Ugebrev Samfundsansvars artikel om rapporten her.
Claudia Saller, Coordinator of the European Coalition for Corporate Justice (ECCJ), said, “This is a milestone in civil society’s struggle for binding rules on corporate accountability. After many years of insisting on voluntary measures for companies, the Commission has finally understood the urgent need for better protection of human rights and the environment, and the important role that companies must be obliged – and not only encouraged – to play. We will follow up on the Commissioner’s announcement and hold him to his word. ECCJ is well prepared to explain how this new piece of legislation can be implemented in practice.”
The Commissioner’s announcement comes after the publication of the European Commission’s study on due diligence requirements through the supply chain, conducted by the BIICL, which underlined the failure of corporate voluntary measures and affirmed the need for mandatory rules at EU level, as Reynders explained. For the sake of a level playing field, numerous companies, as well as investors, have already expressed support for such rules.
The need for corporate justice has become even more urgent now that Europe is affected by a health, economic and social crisis, triggered by the Covid-19 pandemic, which is having a devastating impact on human rights in developing countries and laying bare the vulnerability of our economic model. Committed not to postpone this initiative, the Commissioner assured MEPs that it will be part of both the European Green Deal and the European Recovery Plan.
After touching on very different topics such as sustainable corporate governance, directors’ duties and corporate due diligence, Reynders confirmed that the latter will follow an autonomous legislative path, particularly independent from the review of the Non-Financial Reporting Directive. It seemed clear that the Commission has already started working on it, and Reynders announced a public consultation to be launched soon.
Challenged by MEPs and CSOs, Reynders specified further details of his proposal, including some burning points that ECCJ has long been advocating for.
https://heidihautala.fi/en/commission-announcement-of-due-diligence-legislation/
