EU: the European Trade Union Confederation is calling for a European directive on mandatory Human Rights due diligence and responsible business conduct

On 18 December, the ETUC Executive Committee approved a resolution calling for a European directive on mandatory Human Rights due diligence and responsible business conduct. This should establish mandatory and effective due diligence mechanisms covering companies’ activities and their business relationships, (including franchises) and extending to their supply and subcontracting chains. The ETUC intends to lobby, alongside the NGOs, the EU institutions as well as national governments so that this project makes it onto the policy agenda.

Through . Published on 19 December 2019 à 14h18 - Update on 19 December 2019 à 14h18

The adopted resolution underlines that ‘The reliance on a voluntary framework to promote business respect for human rights has furthermore proven insufficient and ineffective for workers, society and businesses.’

Referring to various international instruments that are operating concurrently (OECD, Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights etc.), the ETUC highlights ‘a patchwork of measures that do not provide for legal certainty and legal predictability,’ and which ‘creates unfair competition at European and global level,’ ‘raises public expectation without providing the enabling framework for proper enforcement,’ and ‘provides no stable grounds for investors to evaluate and to compare companies’ sustainability and due diligence processes.’

The confederation concludes that ‘there is a clear need to remedy the absence of legally binding obligations upon businesses to comply with human rights and to overcome the lack of effective oversight and means to properly enforce measures to be implemented by companies in this area.’

Consequently,…

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