Joint civil society statement by ECCJ, reacting to the lack of majority in COREPER on the CSDDD, co-signed by 140 European organisations, including CIDSE.
Today’s failure of the EU Council to endorse the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD)marks a deplorable setback for corporate accountability and the protection of Human Rights and the environment worldwide, after years of debate and negotiation.
The blockage is largely attributable to big Member States: the early announced abstention from influential Germany – orchestrated by the minority German coalition partner, the FDP, and met with spiritless resistance by Chancellor Scholz – was followed by others. A last minute attempt by France to derail negotiations by proposing a tenfold increase in company threshold last night increased the uncertainty for other states. These political games starkly defy the resounding support for the Directive from governments, trade unions, civil society, large, medium and small businesses, and individual citizens. Without binding EU legislation on corporate accountability, national governments fail to address human rights impacts, the exploitation of workers, and impacts on Indigenous Peoples’s rights and other traditional communities and natural ecosystems linked to corporate operations. It is a harrowing failure by EU governments to meet their obligations under international human rights law, and a green-light signal to reckless businesses that they can keep fueling the climate and ecological crises for corporate profits
This lack of support threatens a vital piece of EU sustainability legislation, necessary and overdue to trigger the change in business conduct. It is the result of a democratic process in the European Parliament and of extensive negotiations with Member States.
Now more than ever, the Belgian Presidency must rise to the occasion: it is time to circle back to the Member States and ensure a strong majority without haggling over the key principles of the compromise hammered out in the trilogue agreement.
Signatures
- European Coalition for Corporate Justice
- Friends of the Earth Europe
- Fern
- Vredesactie
- BankTrack
- FIDH
- GLOBAL 2000 – Friends of the Earth Austria
- Mai bine
- REDU
- CUIB
- ShareAction
- Swedwatch
- ECONOMY FOR THE COMMON GOOD
- Anti-Slavery International
- Südwind, Austria
- Solidaridad
- Jugend Eine Welt, Austria
- WeWorld, Italy
- Centre for Research on Multinational Corporations (SOMO)
- Human Rights International Corner (HRIC)
- Informationsgruppe Lateinamerika, Austria
- International Peace Information Service (IPIS)
- Novi sindikat, Croatia
- European Environmental Bureau
- MVO Platform
- Irish Coalition for Business and Human Rights
- Christian Aid Ireland
- Finnwatch
- OECD Watch
- WSM
- Mani Tese ETS
- Campagna Impresa2030
- Transport & Environment
- NeSoVe
- Frank Bold
- Romero Initiative
- Latinamerikagrupperna
- SÜDWIND – Institute for Economy and Ecumenism
- Broederlijk Delen
- ActionAid International
- Oxfam
- Reds – Red de solidaridad para la transformación social
- Fairtrade International
- ClientEarth
- CNCD-11.11.11
- Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands)
- Informationsstelle Peru
- CorA-Netzwerk für Unternehmensverantwortung
- Business & Human Rights Resource Centre
- World Fair Trade Organization – Europe
- Act Church of Sweden
- Sherpa
- Diakonia Sweden
- LM International
- mis de la Terre France / Friends of the Earth France
- Polish Institute for Human Rights and Business
- Grupo belga Solidario con Guatemala
- Amnesty International
- FOS
- Climate Action Network Europe
- IF Metall (Industrial and Metal Workers’ Union Sweden)
- Protection International
- CIDSE- An international family of Catholic social justice organisations
- nitiative Lieferkettengesetz
- esti Roheline Liikumine – Estonian Green Movement
- achACT
- ForumCiv, Sweden
- Fair Trade Advocacy Office
- Plataforma por Empresas Responsables
- Partos
- WeEffect, Sweden
- Avocats Sans Frontières
- Observatorio de Responsabilidad Social Corporativa
- Environmental Justice Foundation
- Coordinadora Estatal de Comercio Justo
- Afrikagrupperna, Sweden
- Welthaus der Diözese Linz
- Vision, the Swedish civil servants’ union
- Clean Clothes Campaign
- PowerShift
- CCFD-Terre Solidaire
- Initiative pour un devoir de vigilance, Luxembourg
- Global Witness
- EU-LAT Advocacy Network
- Setem
- Focus Association for Sustainable Development
- RREUSE
- Swedish Society for Nature Conservation
- Global Responsibility – Austrian Platform for Development and Humanitarian Aid
- European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR)
- Solsoc
- ÖGB EU Office
- Forest Peoples Programme
- AK EUROPA – Austrian Federal Chamber of Labour – Brussels office
- WWF European Policy Office
- La Strada International
- European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC)
- International Dalit Solidarity Network
- 11.11.11, Coalition for International Solidarity, Belgium
- Trócaire, Ireland
- KIOS Foundation, Finland
- Germanwatch
- Minerva Business and Human Rights Association
- Fairfood
- FEMNET e.V.
- Cultural Survival
- Centre for the Politics of Emancipation, Serbia
- EU Raw Materials Coalition
- Notre Affaire A Tous
- Earthsight
- Publish What You Pay
- Natural Resource Governance Institute (NRGI)
- Rainforest Foundation Norway, Norway
- Society for Threatened Peoples, Switzerland
- European Federation of Public Services Unions (EPSU)
- Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz Deutschland e.V. (Friends of the Earth Germany)
- IM, Sweden
- Securing Indigenous Rights in the Green Economy Coalition (SIRGE)
- Batani Foundation
- The Andrew Lees Trust
- kumenisches Büro für Frieden und Gerechtigkeit e.V.
- Earthworks
- Human Rights Law Centre
- ACT Alliance EU
- BUNDjugend / Young Friends of the Earth Germany
- Human Rights Watch
- FIAN Germany
- Solidair met Guatemala
- Lightup Norway
- Norwegian Helsinki Committee
- Factlines
- Christian Council of Norway
- Norwegian Council for Africa
- Framtiden i våre hender, Norway
- Asociación por la Paz y los Derechos Humanos Taula per Mèxic, Catalunya
- Norwegian Church Aid
- Norwegian Church Aid
- Initiative pour un devoir de vigilance, Luxembourg
- CorA-Netzwerk für Unternehmensverantwortung (CorA-Network for Corporate Accountability)
- 140. CNV Internationaa
Additional reading
- -“Lidstaten blokkeren historische EU-zorgplichtwet, mens en planeet betalen de rekening“, Broederjlik Delen press release, 28 February 2024
- “Devoir de vigilance européen : la France tente d’enterrer la directive”, CCFD press release, 28 February 2024
- “Dreikönigsaktion der Katholischen Jungschar bedauert Ausbleiben einer Einigung zum EU-Lieferkettengesetz”, DKA Austria press release, 28 February 2024
- – “Rückschlag für EU-Lieferkettengesetz”, Misereor press release, 28 February 2024
- – “Decimos SÍ a la CSDDD“, Plataforma por Empresas Responsables, 28 February 2024
Cover photo : Christian Lue / Unsplash