As part of a coalition of civil society organisations, CIDSE publishes a new guide to help EU Member States turn the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) into strong national law.
Background
The Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD) requires large companies to check their entire supply chain for harm to people and the planet, and to fix what they find. It’s not the directive civil society fought for. Political and corporate pressure weakened key provisions before a single Member State has even transposed it into national law. But it’s still a legal tool worth fighting with. EU Member States have until 26 July 2028 to turn the CSDDD into their own national laws. This process will decide something very concrete: whether a worker or community harmed by a company can actually get justice and compensation — or whether the system stays stacked against them.
What’s in the guide
The guide sets out what ambitious, effective transposition looks like, with priority recommendations for EU Member States, including:
- Effective, ongoing due diligence: companies should treat due diligence as a continuous process, not a form filled in once and forgotten
- Civil liability and access to justice: people harmed by a company should be able to hold it accountable and obtain compensation
- Independent, resourced supervisory authorities: enforcement bodies need the skills, staffing, and power to actually investigate and act
- Meaningful stakeholder engagement: workers and affected communities must be consulted in ways that are enforceable, not symbolic
- Climate transition plans with teeth: companies should be required to adopt and implement plans that lead to real emissions cuts, not paperwork
- Alignment with international standards: national rules should reflect existing global consensus, including the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises and the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Authors: European Coalition for Corporate Justice, Frank Bold, Anti-Slavery International
Other contributors to this publication: Amnesty International, Business and Human Rights Centre, CIDSE, Clean Clothes Campaign International Office, European Centre for Constitutional and Human Rights, Friends of the Earth Europe, Global Witness, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), ShareAction
The publication will be officially launched in Strasbourg on 17 September 2026 at an event during the UN Business and Human Rights Regional Forum hosted by the Council of Europe.
Contacts:
CIDSE: Susana Hernández Torres, Corporate Regulation Officer (hernandez(at)cidse.org)
ECCJ: Alice Poiron, Communications Officer (alice.poiron(at)corporatejustice.org)
Cover illustration: Cover Transposition Guide. Credit: ECCJ