GLOBAL CSR’s comments on ”mandatory due diligence” in the EU

GLOBAL CSR welcomes the EU Commission’s endeavours to establish ”mandatory human rights and environmental due diligence” for business activities in the EU.

The EU Commission has opened for public consultation on this endeavour posing a range questions. A link to the consultation, that ends on February 8^th, is available in the enclosed comments from GLOBAL, that we submitted 29. January.

In our comments, we express our concerns, that questions, definitions and implied concepts expressed by the EU Commission:

1. Are not aligned with the UN Guiding Principles for Business and Human Rights. The EU Commissions proposed regulation should get it legal basis the globally agreed standard and align closely in order to enable the scaling up of respect for human rights internationally.

2. Portray human rights and environmental due diligence as relevant primarily when addressing responsibilities vis á vis business relationships outside the EU, restricted to the supply chain only and implying preference to the highly problematic practice of ‘mapping supply chains’.

3. Do not reflect the EU 2012 shift in the definition of CSR, and hence the discourse shift from a ‘stakeholder-based approach’ to a ‘principles-based approach’ to CSR / RBC as enabled by the UNGPs and for environmental/economic due diligence the OECD guidelines.

… and more concerns.

We are pleased that several business groups and colleagues raise similar concerns. You may also consider voicing yours.

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