Coalition of NGOs: European Commission must strengthen Due Diligence Directive

Last February, the European Commission published a legislative proposal which obligates major companies to prevent human rights violations and environmental pollution in their supply chain. In a joint statement of 220 NGOs, IUCN NL calls on the European Parliament and EU Member States to improve the proposal to guarantee that the law will effectively prevent corporate harm to human rights, the environment and climate.

Header photo: European Union flag Markus Spiske for Unsplash

On 23 February 2022, the European Commission released its proposal for a directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence. This directive could represent an important step forward in minimising the negative impacts of businesses on workers, communities and the environment worldwide. In response, over 220 NGOs and trade unions from around the world welcome the proposal as an essential and long-awaited step toward corporate accountability, responsible business conduct and access to justice.

However, the proposal contains significant flaws that risk preventing the directive from achieving the positive impact that people, planet, and climate urgently need. Human rights, labour and environmental organisations and networks call on the European Parliament and EU Member States to strengthen the text in line with what EU citizens, workers and communities affected by corporate abuses worldwide have vocally and publicly demanded.

‘The joint statement outlines our collective views on how to improve the proposal to guarantee that the law will effectively prevent corporate harm to human rights, the environment and climate; as well as provide victims of corporate abuse with access to effective remedies,’ Antoinette Sprenger, senior expert environmental justice at IUCN NL, explains.

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